Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um
by mivpus
Summary: Legends tell of the Dragonborn, the man with the blood and soul of the Dovah. Awed by his peers, feared by his foes and loved by a Lioness, the Dragonborn, warrior mightiest, bender of the Thu'um, Thane of the holds, mage of the college. A man who started out as a captive from Cyrondil made it far in the province of Skyrim. Alduin the World Eater was banished. But where to?
1. Tales of the past

**Before you even ask: No, I'm not stopping work on 'Careful what you wish for'. I simply think logical, if coldly. These chapters will likely be shorter than the Mass Effect ones, and as such I can post them while school is going on, where as to the Mass Effect, I need time.**

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Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

Tales of the past

_I__n ancient time, before the time of the Empire or the Aldmeri Dominion, Ancient Man struggled to survive in the harsh and cold reality that was the Age of Dragons. Here, in this desolate and unforgiving era of time, monsters of mythic scale ruled the world through brute force and the way of the Voice._

_The Voice, being the single most powerful weapon of destruction even born by man or beast, allowed the user to project his will through the shout, the Thu'um. When the ancient gods of old saw the plight of Man under the reign of Akatosh's sons and daughters, the Dragons, they took pity in the men of the Nord. _

_The Thu'um was granted to Man by the Divines in the heavens, and Man used the Thu'um to spark the Dragon War. The war for the very freedom and survival of humanity from the slavery of servitude under the dragons and those who worshipped them as gods in their own right. _

_When the War was at its end, great son of Akatosh, the dragon Paarthurnax sided with Man, and taught them how to use the Thu'um as more than a brute weapon, but as a way of life. Finally, upon the peak of what would later be known as the Throat of the World, The three strongest users of the Thu'um, Hakon, Gormlaith and Felldir fought Alduin. The greatest heroes to walk Tamriel until the time of Talos, fought, and used the Elder Scrolls of old to rip apart time itself, and banish the Firstborn to time itself, so that he might be lost in the never-ending streams of eons and ages._

Book of the Dovah - Chapter one.

_Alas, it was in vain._

_Ages past the battle of High Hrothgar, Alduin returned to the world. In his mind, one goal prevailed. To enslave and end mankind and the world. He was dubbed 'The World Eater', and fit his name well. It is unknown for what reasons or how he returned, but return he did, and with the fire of the heavens, he revived his fallen brethren from their mounds of burial. Tamriel trembled in fear, all of man, elf and ork cowered under his black wings. _

_All but one._

_Like a shadow from the books of old, a man appeared. To his peers and fellow human beings, he appeared a mere man, a refugee from the Heartlands of Tamriel. Caught up in a brewing civil war, the man was discovered in Helgen, seemingly by none other than the World Eater himself. _

_The history of this man is shrouded in shadow as thick as the blackness of Alduin, yet he rose to prominence. A simple courier from Riverwood, he ran. Ran across the plain, across the rivers. He ran, and met the Jarl of Whiterun. He bore ill news, as Alduin, the World Eater, had returned. The Season Unending, had begun anew. _

_It is unclear how he was unveiled as the Dovahkiin, the man of Dragons blood. What is known to the world though, is that when he was revealed, the world shook. The world shook as the men of High Hrothgar called his name, called the name of the Dovahkiin. _

_And the Dragonborn responded thus, he traveled to High Hrothgar, and became a disciple of the Greybeards, the masters of the Thu'um since the days of Jürgen Windcaller._

Book of the Dovah - Chapter two.

_Skyrim, the province in which Alduin's rampage began, was embroiled in a bitter war among brothers. A war where man fought man over belief. _

_To understand why man fought for belief, it must be made known that Man was not alone in Tamriel. Races ranging from the Brutish green Ork, to the sneaky and cunning cat-men, the Khajiit, to the dark-skinned Elves of Morrowin and the Lizards of the Southern lands, the Argonians. And then, there were the Thalmor._

_Originally an enlightened and respected people from the Summerset Isles, the High Elves saw themselves as superior to mankind, and thus sought to rule him for all time._

_But mankind fought back. They fought with shield and spear, sword and axe, mace and bow. Mankind was many, and mankind was strong. But the Elves were cunning, and the Elves were foul._

_Where man used a sword, the Elves fought with arcane lightning._

_Where man used a shield, the Elves brought down giants of ice and storm to batter the shield and break the spear._

_Where man fought with an axe, the Elves burned him with arcane fire._

_Where man used a bow, the Elves used the very forces of the Earth to swallow him up, eat him whole or rip him apart._

_Man fought._

_And Man was defeated._

_The White-Gold concord was signed, a truce to save mankind from extinction, yet it placed the Elves in a position of master, and man in a position of slave._

_In Skyrim, the province of the Nord. Home of Talos and tomb of Ysgramor, they refused. The Nords were hardy, and the Nords were proud. The Thalmor sought to rid the land of those who held Talos Tiber Septim, founder of the Empire, in regard._

_In Skyrim, two factions soon divided the land. The Empire publically sought to placate the Thalmor, and thus carried out their wishes. _

_The Stormcloaks called themselves the true sons and daughters of Skyrim, and fought with tooth and nail to drive out the Thalmor and the Empire, thus wishing to claim the province of Skyrim for the followers of Talos._

Book of the Dovah - Chapter three

_The Dragonborn intervened. _

_Where Alduin drew power from the struggle, the Dragonborn ended it. And according to the stories told, he found love in his travels. _

_In Riften, the city of crime and deceit, he was smitten with a young adventurous woman who, like himself, sought justice and peace for the innocents. Mjoll was her name, and they called her the Lioness. _

_Her hair was fair and bright, yet the color of earth when it holds iron. Her skin was tough as the leather used to band her armor, and her fury towards the doers of injustice was terror-striking to watch and behold. _

_Upon the peak of mount Hrothgar, they ended the civil war in the face of the Dragon Threat, humiliating the Thalmor by extending the hand of peace and Alliance between the Stormcloaks and the Empire. Speculation goes as to whether the Dragonborn and his partner in souls, already back then had planned out the events that would transpire after the fall of Alduin._

_After weeks and months of travelling Skyrim, the pair was encountered by the Blades, an organization of Dragon hunters and elite protectors dating back to the time before the Dominion took over. Their leader Delphine pledged herself and the organization to the cause of the Dragonborn, no matter what cause it might be._

_When everything had been made ready, the Greybeards once again contacted and summoned the Dragonborn, calling him to High Hrothgar to serve or be served once more. Here, the Greybeards' leader showed him a path up the mountain, as well as revealing the Thu'um to control the storms themselves._

_When The Dragonborn and Mjoll appeared on the peak of the mountain, history and legend merged with the present, and Paarthurnax, teacher of man, master of the Greybeards, revealed himself to them. Exactly what transpired during that fateful meeting is unknown, but the Dragonborn soon after ventured deep into the bowels of the earth, traveling the ruined empire of the Dwemer. _

_When he reemerged, people would say that his face had aged. For a man as young as he, that meant much. Yet, Mjoll was by him to the end, and so he would neither falter nor waver in his quest. _

_Upon the peak of High Hrothgar, the Throat of the World bore witness to an event having only occurred once before in known history. The Elder Scrolls, thought to be lost to time and dust. Time itself was torn asunder, and Alduin was drawn to his defeat._

_Faced with unexpected force, the World Eater retreated to the world of souls, to Sovngarde. There, he feasted upon the souls of warriors come and gone. _

_The Dragonborn followed, upon the wings of Odahviing, red as fire. In the halls of Whiterun, he was captured, and in the halls of Whiterun, he was turned to the cause of good. _

Book of the Dovah - Chapter four

_In the halls of Sovngarde, the Dragonborn met those who had come again and before. He met the founder of the Greybeards, Jürgen Windcaller himself. He met the Nordic heroes of old and, some say, Shor himself._

_Upon the plains of Sovngarde, the Dragonborn faced down Alduin, accompanied not by his faithful Mjoll, but by the very same heroes who faced down Alduin in ages past. Hakon, Gormlaith and Felldir followed him into battle and slew the monster. Alduin was no more._

_Now, the Dragonborn is once again traveling with Mjoll. Often do they return to Paarthurnax, where tales tell of Mjoll being taught the Thu'um by the master himself. _

_As it has become custom, the Greybeards are always searching, listening, for whispers of the Voice and artifacts to boost the resolve and willpower of the Dovahkiin. _

End of the Book of the Dovah - Chapter five

High Hrothgar, the Throat of the world.

Home to the Greybeards and their master, the dragon Paarthurnax. Among the men and women of Skyrim, no grander monument to the power of the Thu'um is known, nor do anyone wish to compete in grandness. To travel the seven thousand steps from Ivarsted to the gates of the dormitory, is the greatest pilgrimage a man can undertake.

"This is freezing! I wonder why the Greybeards never thought to build their home closer to the ground. Even Dawnstar is warmer, and that's as far north as you can get." Mjoll shouted, clutching her coat tighter against her body. Her worn but well-kept set of banded armor was covered by a thick coat of mammoth's fur, the soft hairs underneath the gruff and hard outer hairs made for a pleasant coat. In front of her, her lover and husband trudged through the thick coat of snow covering the stairs.

"Well… I suppose they wanted only people who actually had business with them. I am sure it discourages the fanatical Stendarr-worshipers from coming knocking." He replied, his wry humor barely audible through the howling winds. Different from Mjoll, he had donned his thick and insulating clothes from the College in Winterhold. As insulating as it was against simple cold, he also needed the bright flame he kept alive in his palms to avoid freezing them off his fingers.

"How do you always stay this po-positive?" She called, her teeth rattling from the cold. She tugged her coat closer to her body as she stared upwards, glimpsing the silhouette of the towers. At least they were almost there.

"Well, I figured that since I walked away from fighting a demi-god… I ha- have the righ-t-t-t to feel optimistic… Damnation it's cold!" He sputtered, causing Mjoll to catch a smile, despite the weather. He had been like this since the day she met him. Always with a snarky remark on the tongue or ready to extend a helping hand.

She remembered how horrified she had been when he, the day after Aerin had disappeared, walked through the door covered in blood. When he had simply collapsed on the bed, she had set out to find the reason for his appearance. She soon found out that Thor had a very unique way of celebrating their anniversary.

The Thieves Guild, and even Maven Blackbriar, had been butchered, their bodies thrown in the city's canal. No one could tell who had done it, but she had been pleased to see very few shed what even resembled tears.

Now, she had followed him for almost a year since their marriage, and despite having yet to conceive a child, there were none who could say they didn't try. Still, she supposed it could wait until they returned to Solitude before attempting again. She had fond memories of him kicking in the door to their new house while carrying her in the Imperial bridal style, headed straight for the bed.

How he had blushed when she removed the final parts of her armor and clothing. It had almost been cute, if not adorable. If people knew that the banisher of Alduin had never been with a woman before her, they most surely would have either laughed or dismissed the claim.

"Look, we're here. The gates of Hrothgar opens up before us." Thor said, causing her to brave the cold and raise her face. Despite the cold, High Hrothgar was always an imposing sight. It was as if the building itself was aware, welcoming them to a place of wisdom. Of course, saying that the gates opened up before them was more of a figure of speech. They would have to open the gates themselves.

Extinguishing the flame, he pressed his palms against the door, forcing it open. Dragonborn or not, the door was heavy. As it opened up, they both felt a warm gust of air greeting them from the insides, and hurried in, closing the door behind them.

"Ah, this is much better." Mjoll exclaimed, letting her cowl fall from her head, revealing a young, if scared, face. A dark tattoo went from her right cheek to the eye, and a set of small scars adorned the left cheek. It gave the impression of a warrior. Her soft yet hardened face was encircled by hair the color of cobber and brass, giving her the appearance of one who came from the Heartlands, where that color was more common than it was rare in Skyrim.

"Master Arngeir, we have come as summoned." Thor said, bowing slightly in respect towards the hooded figure waiting a few meters ahead. The old monk nodded in return, then spoke.

For the Greybeards, speaking is connected with danger as their very whisper can set avalanches to roll down the sides of the mountain, and whispering the word _Dovahkiin_ made the entire continent tremble and shake when they summoned him the first time.

"I thank you for the greeting young friend, but you mistake me for our master. I admit, I look much like Arngeir, but I am not him. Greetings to you as well, Mjoll the Lioness. You are both a welcome sight, as a storm is nearing on the Horizon." The monk said, his voice causing the room to shake slightly.

"I apologize for the confusion then. What is your name master?" Thor said, keeping his voice polite when in the presence of a Greybeard. They had lived in seclusion for so long, they spoke different than people outside their monastery. It had been straining, at first, but Thor had gotten accustomed to their way of speech.

"I am master Roku. I am responsible for the library we have here on the mountain. I have found something that will be of great interest to the both of you, as well as of great disturbance." Roku said, his mouth barely visible beneath a thick, long and white beard.

"What is it?" Mjoll asked, taking the words from Thor's mouth.

"When you fought Alduin in Sovngarde, he didn't die. He was banished, but not into the stream of time, like last he was defeated." There was concern in the man's voice.

"Then what happened to him?" Thor asked, this time taking the words from his wife's mouth. She would have huffed at the habit in their bond, if not for the seriousness of the situation.

"Scrolls of old, predating even Jurgen Windcaller, were found in our library last week. They were written in the language of the ancient Dragon priests, and took long to decipher and translate. They tell of a second type of Elder Scrolls, the Scrolls of Dimensions." Roku said. Thor scratched his stubs in puzzlement.

"So… if the Elder Scrolls sent him through time… would that mean that the Scrolls of Dimensions sent him to somewhere else than Tamriel?" Mjoll said, having put two and two together before her husband. This time, it was his time to scoff, keeping his eyes on the monk.

"In essence? Yes, that is the case here. As the Dragonborn, it is your duty to find Alduin before he starts regaining his strength and returns. He will most likely not appear in the new place for at least a cycle of the year since you banished him. You will have the opportunity to stop him before he can return to Tamriel. If he does, you will not have the element of surprise with you this time, and using the Elder Scrolls to lure him in would likely kill you if you attempted to use them again." Roku said, keeping a pair of hard old eyes firmly fixed at the Dragonborn.

"But… even if… how would I get there?" Thor asked, his face strained as his mind fought to take in the news. He would have to go to another dimension, like traveling through Oblivion. He still felt the slimy tendrils of darkness from his visit to that haunted dimension, crawling through his soul. He prayed to Talos and Mara that this one would not be like the Oblivion.

"Remember, the Scrolls of Dimensions are powerful tools. Ever since you brought back the Elder Scrolls, we have been searching for anything of its like. A month ago, we found it." The monk said, procuring a thick scroll from his back, causing Thor's eyes to widen in shock. He felt sure that that scroll had not been there earlier. But with the Greybeards, you could never know.

"Is… is that-?" Mjoll started.

"Yes, the Scrolls of Dimensions. It has never before been used, and we cannot foresee what might happen when it is used. Therefore I ask that you take it to the peak of the mountain with Odahviing, and use the scroll. If Alduin is there, you will need all the help you can get." Roku said, bowing slightly before them as he faced away and started walking. Thor assumed that meant the audience was over. Mjoll gave him a thoughtful look.

"What is it?" He asked her softly, knowing better than to second-guess her judgment when she put on her serious face.

"It's just… have you ever seen that man before?" She asked, gazing at the corridor he had disappeared into. Thor shook his head.

"No, I don't think I have. He seemed a little off, but he _is_ a Greybeard. They do not fit your definition of normal." He said, shrugging as he headed for the doors leading to the courtyard. He found it a little odd that no Greybeards were to be found inside…

Nor outside. The courtyard was empty as well. He thought about asking Mjoll if she thought something odd was going on, but decided not to. After all, the Greybeards were infinite in both wisdom and surprises.

"Well… I suppose we need to get up the mountain… again." Mjoll sighed, starting towards the gateway to the paths up the mountainside. Thor quickly caught up with her, giving her hand a small squeeze as they walked side by side.

"Don't be mad, it's a good place. Paarthurnax is the one who gave you the knowledge of the shout. Without him you couldn't beat me in a spar." He said, nudging her shoulder gently as they stated walking up the mountainside. Mjoll just sighed again, punching him lightly in the shoulder;

"I suppose. Still, why couldn't they have their grandmaster live a more humane place, like the bottom of a Dwemer ruin, or maybe in a lake of molten rock, perched in a castle?" Mjoll said, causing a small smile to appear on Thor's lips as he stepped through snow reaching his knees. If a fall from the mountain wasn't going to kill them, the cold surely would.

"A Dragon in a Castle? What on Tamriel would it do there? Take Elisef as prisoner?" He asked in wonder as they traversed the mountainside. Mjoll was quiet for a few minutes before answering;

"Well, it could be so that the Thane would have to safe her, and then they would get married. I think that sounds like a good tale, don't you?" Mjoll asked, looking back at her husband as he fought against the snow, struggling to keep up with her.

"Blasted son of a Daedra mating whore! I- I mean, yeah sure, it could be a great tale for the bards in Solitude. Should I ask Oda…" He started, then trailed off. Mjoll looked back at him;

"What is it Love?" She asked. She was answered with a hail of oaths and curses, most directed to the Divines, and a few at himself;

"We could have just had Odahviing fly us up here. Instead we walked up a Oblivion-be-damned mountain… Sometimes I wonder if my mind took more damage from the Elder Scrolls than I thought." He mumbled, feeling at the thick scrolls bound on his back. If he somehow dropped them down the mountain, he would set something on fire. Most likely himself.

"Oh… well, we did get a good jog out of it, didn't we? Come now, we are almost at the peak." Mjoll said, pointing at where the ground smoothed and became more plain and level.

"I… I… fine, but I'm calling for him when we get up there. Not here though, I'm not starting an avalanche on grounds of tiredness." He grumbled, wading through the last patches of deep snow before joining his wife of the plateau on the top of the world. It really was a breathtaking sight. Had the skies been clear, he could have seen all the way to both Windhelm and Solitude, despite those two being at each their end of the province.

"Greetings Dovahkiin. Greetings young Lioness. What brings you to my lair?" The deep, rumbling voice of Paarthurnax asked, alerting them to his presence even before he landed, causing the ground to tremble. Both Thor and Mjoll bowed slightly in reverence to the large dragon. In turn, he lowered his massive head towards them, returning the gesture of respect.

Thor fished out the scrolls, causing the dragon's eyes to flutter in amazement;

"These. Master Roku told us to track down Alduin in another dimension. These scrolls have the ability to do so." He said, spreading out the scrolls on a table of stone in front of him. The old dragon placed a claw on it, preventing the wind from taking it.

"Hmm… these are very odd symbols… very _old_ symbols. I might have been secluded for too long, as my mind does not remember a Roku in or midst. Still, this is genuine, but… how does it work, I wonder?" He said, his voice causing Mjoll to smile. It always did, and when Thor had asked her why, she had told him that he sounded like an old human.

"I suspect just like the Elder Scrolls. Hopefully I won't have the symbols seared into my eyes for the next week though. We need to call Odahviing before commencing the ritual, as I want as much help as possible if we are to face Alduin in a new realm." He said, looking at the old dragon. What he didn't see, was Mjoll taking a few steps back to look over the vastness of Skyrim before opening her mouth;

"_OD AH VIING!"_ Mjoll shouted, causing the mountain to tremble and both the Dovah and the Dovahkiin to look at her in wonder. Thor in particular looked amazed;

"Mjoll? When did… I thought only the Dragonborn could use that shout?" He said as she just turned to him with a grin covering her lips.

"I thought so too, but I thought trying it out would do no harm, and look. There he comes!" She said, smiling as she pointed at a speck in the horizon, growing bigger by the second until it became a large red dragon, heading straight for the peak. Paarthurnax quickly relocated as he knew Odahviing to not be the best lander among the Dovah.

"_Dol sofan kelsuk Dovahkiin._ Here I am." The dragon rumbled, his voice very distinct from that of Paarthurnax in the aspect that he sounded younger, and his voice caused fewer tremors. Both Thor and Mjoll greeted Odahviing, but with slightly less reverence, and more informality than with Paarthurnax, now crested on his 'throne' being the ancient wall of the voice upon the mountain.

"Odahviing, your services are required once again. Alduin seems to be having trouble staying dead." Thor said, stroking the head of the red dragon.

"Hmm… why am I not surprised. It is like the tale of men, that you tell your young ones. The evildoers always return. Still, I have not seen Alduin yet, is he near?" The dragon asked, slowly swaying his long red head to each side, his eyes scanning the horizon. Thor shook his head, but Mjoll beat him to it;

"No, it seems he has run off to a new world outside of ours. A Greybeard by the name of Roku gave us this scroll so that we could follow and defeat Alduin." Mjoll said, gesturing at the ancient scroll spread out on the table.

"Hmm… it is like a repeating occurrence with you Humans. Trouble always stirs up when you are left to yourselves. Very well, my life is sworn to you Dovahkiin, and therefore to you as well Lioness. What must I do?" Odahviing mused, nodding towards the pair of, relatively to him, tiny humans. Thor walked towards the scroll, carrying with him his bag containing most of his polished Ebony armor. It was a priced collection, and had he had to buy it, he would have been ruined. Instead he had found it over his travels, ending up killing a Daedra-worshipper for the helmet. Along with the armor, he carried his sword, a gift from the blades, and a one-handed axe made from the same metal as his armor.

Mjoll never let go of her axe, and thus both of them were always ready for a fight. In front of the odd trio, Paarthurnax watched with growing interest as Thor held up the scrolls and placed himself between Mjoll and Odahviing;

"Well, here goes…" Thor murmured, starting to read through the symbols and signs covering the scroll. Almost the instant he started, they started to glow, almost jumping from the vellum as they seemed to surround the three of them.

"This is… _Nulteck_, this is new…" Odahviing muttered, staring at the scroll as long tendrils of light seemed to emerge from it, surrounding them from all sides before starting to bind around them. Each touch of the illuminated chains of symbols was cold as ice, yet warm at the same time. It was bright as looking at a fire, yet it shed no light around it.

"I don't like it, is this what it felt like with the Elder Scrolls?" Mjoll asked, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. He didn't remove his eyes from the scroll, but nodded, leaning slightly towards her;

"In a way, yes. Although this is much more intense and last time there were no strands of light and symbols emerging…" He said, somewhat calming her concerns but still not managing to ease her completely. The light was growing in intensity, and suddenly it outshone everything else, leaving nothing but whiteness around the two humans and the dragon.

From where Paarthurnax sat, there was only a brief and incredibly bright flash of light. When he opened his eyes again, the three beings in front of him had vanished, leaving only a crater in the snow.

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**Alright, this is how we start out the journey. Alduin will reemerge in a new and unknown (not really) world, and the Dragonborn, his wife and his dragon will follow him to the end of the earths to put him down for good. I'm guarranted to receive someone wwho believes I should have chosen Lydia, and that's alright with me. I liked Lydia as a companion, buuuuuut... she was just too depressive too even be considered for marriage.**

**I**

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**please leave a review. They are critical to the start of a new story. **


	2. Way of the Voice

**Well, I figured I might as well get this chapter out as well before I turn in. I have some high expectations for this one, but right now I'm almost too tired to do anything about it. If you wonder about the timeline, this takes place while Tenzin is traveling to the South Pole to visit Korra and his mother in the first episode. **

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Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

The way of the Voice

The Thu'um is a remarkable gift.

It can enable man to spew fire, start cyclones or call forth heroes from Sovngarde. If properly used, it can even allow for flight. Yet, for Mjoll the Lioness, emerging fifty meters above the sea was an uncomfortable experience.

As the bright flash of the Scroll of Dimensions wore off, she started feeling the tug of gravity, as well as the sharp but surprisingly warm air gushing past her as she appeared in thin air. Of course, the experience might have been bearable if it wasn't for the fact that she was speeding horizontally towards what looked like enormous buildings on land. Next to her, she could hear the startled roar of her husband, Thor, as he was sent flying in what seemed to be the same direction as her, his bag containing his armor flying just beside him like an inanimate companion somehow capable of flight.

"Maraaaaaaaaaaa!" Was the only sound she could pick up from his shouting as he flailed his arms and legs about him, trying to regain a foothold where none could be found. She herself was no better, screaming at the top of her lunges as she was.

As the buildings came closer and closer, she could only just pick up the sound of a panicked roar, announcing the existence of the five ton dragon suddenly appearing in the skies below her, hurtling towards what could be taken for a street in the haze of her speed.

Then, she impacted.

The pain was somewhat numbed by the thick set of armor she wore, but she still felt it as her left leg was torn into by the window she crashed through. Startled screams accompanied her as she continued her path through the rooms, her speed much too high for her body to simply be stopped by one or two walls, thin as they were.

Then suddenly, she reemerged on the other side of the house, dragging a shower of splintered timber and debris after her as she fell towards the streets, at least twenty meters below her.

Just below, Narto Cebbega stood, plying his trade as he did every day. He descended from a long and proud, if not troubled, line of cabbage-merchants, and was proud of his work. He did his best each and every day, supplying the denizens of Republic City with fresh and healthy cabbage.

At least, that was until a woman clad in solid iron armor fell from the sky, crushing his stall and multiple of the cabbages within. For a moment, just a moment, he was paralyzed with dread, watching as his living was crushed under a complete stranger who seemingly had attempted to kill herself while taking his vegetables with her.

"My Cabbages!" He cried, tearing at his hair as the female persona in his stall seemed content with just moaning, lying still as if she had paid for all the goods she had just ruined.

Thor could only briefly pick up the sound of something breaking as he was sent trashing through a wall, his shoulder feeling like it broke on impact as the wall simply shattered. He felt excruciating pain as he tumbled through the room he landed in feeling his head impact against a solid surface, then his head cracking the surface of what turned out to be a table made from wood.

Panicked and enraged shouting and screaming let him know that he had apparently crashed into what appeared to be a residence of humans.

Terrific, now he just needed to check if Mjoll was safe. And then he would of course make sure that Odahviing had not broken a wing.

"What the hell was- who the hell are you?! Get back he's armed!" A man shouted from somewhere nearby. Thor could just pick up the sound of feet scurrying out of the room, leaving one last occupant of the room to face him.

Perhaps he could explain to him the lay of the land, so to speak, and tell him where Thor could find the leaders of this new world. Slowly, and with the feeling that his shoulder was definitely not as it should be, Thor struggled to his feet, finally getting a chance of looking at his surroundings.

He was currently in a room richly decorated with bright, green colored tapestry and solid wooden furniture. He had seen the likes of it before, in the houses of rich people in Cyrondil, yet there were some noticeable differences. First, there were odd strings going to and from a small box on one of the tables. Second, the windows seemed to be of masterly crafting, even better than what he had seen in the High King of Skyrim's rooms. Then again, he had been fairly drunk when he woke up there, so it could be that he simply misremembered.

In front of him though, was a sight he had seen a few times too many. A man dressed in civilian clothing was starring him down, his hands both holding a small ball of fire at the ready. Thor could suddenly feel his head starting to throb. He needed to ask the man if he could direct him to a healer.

"I'm… pardor, I…no, pa… pa… sod…" He mumbled, collapsing on the floor. His vision blacked out, and he only idly heard the voices and sounds of several people rushing inside the room. It sounded like they were in heavy metal armor.

Meanwhile Odahviing, right hand of the Dragonborn and former ally to Alduin, felt a dull throbbing in his skull, like after having ingested human beverage. He could feel timber and metal move under him at his every breath. He therefore concluded that he had hit a building, probably one made of expensive materials.

"_Nul tok… bah, mer wollz pernadi az…_ my head is killing me…" He muttered. It had become a habit for him to finish his sentences by translating them to the language of Mer, over the past few months. It annoyed Paarthurnax to no end, and decreased his odds with the females, but he couldn't help it.

"Oh Dear Spirits! What is that thing!?" A horrified voice screamed, and the sound of more than one person running was easy to pick up. He could also hear other sounds, like heavy carriages of steel coming to an abrupt halt close by, but it sounded like they had been going faster than any horse had been able to run, even when he was chasing it. Shaking his head, the great dragon opened first one, then two eyes. What he saw almost made him change color in surprise.

"Steady! No one panic!"

"What is that?"

"Beats me, just get it off the streets!"

He could see a large area in front of him, and it turned out that his head and neck was emerging from a wall next to what looked like a street, but was _so much bigger_! It looked like the entire city of Whiterun could be placed on this very street alone, and there was no guarantee that this was even the main street of whatever city they had appeared in.

In front of him, standing by a pair of the metallic carriages, Odahviing saw a group of humans clad in strange metal armor, all of them looking alert and scared. He was used to that. What was odd was that none of them carried a weapon. Not a spear, not a sword, no bows or even a mage among them. Instead they were just standing around his head, assuming a fighting stance.

Were they going to attempt to _punch_ him into submission?

"Captain, it's looking at uusssss!" A nervous voice called out. Odahviing followed the group closely with his gaze, and noted which man responded.

"Shut it Henzo, I can see that. Tie it up and bring it to the station. Let's hope Beifong knows how to handle a… whatever this is." The man shouted, and then something happened. Something that caused the old Dovah to widen his eyes in surprised disbelief. All the men in front of him suddenly had thick ropes of steel shoot out from their wrists, shooting through the air as if an arrow had carried them.

So surprised was he, that he hardly knew how to react before his jaws were suddenly clasped together with the same metal-ropes. Then he realized what was happening, and started fighting back.

"Holy shit, captain this thing is huge!"

"Keep it subdued! Where's the sedative team?"

Odahviing might have been from a world alien to this, but sedating was a word he knew what meant. He started struggling, pushing and pulling in the restraints he suddenly found himself tied up in. He breathed in, pushing out a pillar of smoke as he could not even move his head enough to form a shout. _Nid! Hos tel mer val sok! Mu Dovah, mes lok fal! No! This will not stand! I am a dragon, I will not be slaved!_

He growled, forcing his vast wings to act as forelegs as he pushed himself from the insides of the building. The humans, for what they were worth, stood their grounds. He huffed at them, spreading his wings out as he landed on the stony street.

"Don't let it get away!"

"Is it going to _fly_?!"

"Just tie it up!"

With a mighty shake of his head, Odahviing shook off the restraint keeping his jaws clasped together, feeling the stinging pain as the cables slid across his skin. He could finally move his jaws again, and reveled in the sensation. He then turned, attempting to ignore the pain as more cables hit his body. He stared down the humans, all of them suddenly having become very silent as they were faced with the, to them, giant alien creature.

"Ignorant Mer! Mes Odahviing, Dovah tel mes Dovahkiin! I am Odahviing, right hand of the Dragonborn! Yol Tor Shul!" He roared, breathing out a massive pillar of flame. The, unknown to the Dovah, officers, dived out of the way to prevent themselves from being roasted, and Odahviing took the opportunity to rid himself of the wires and cables, snapping them by breaking them with his massive jaw.

"Holy shit, did you hear that? It spoke!"

"Help, I'm on fire! It breathed actual fire!"

"Shut up, get the airships here, we need backup!"

Odahviing huffed at their continued persistence, then spread out his wings. With two powerful flaps, he took to the sky. Reaching up above the towering constructions that outdid anything he had ever seen in his life, and he had lived long.

He flew across the buildings, keeping himself near the sea to find his humans. He would not bear losing neither his master nor his master's mate.

Suddenly, he felt a presence in the air above him, and looked up in wonder. Surely no other bird nor Dovah would be in the sky. Not while he spread his wings in flight, as was the right of Dovah.

His eyes widened in renewed disbelief as he discovered a massive manmade construction hovering right above him, a long rounded shape with rotating steel in the sides. If he had had the opportunity, he would have questioned a human or another Dovah as to what the thing was.

Instead, he saw and felt it as dozens of new cables came spearing down, hogtying him before he could even attempt to evade. The cables used here were much thicker and stronger than the ones used on him earlier, and he found with rage, that he could neither break them nor free himself otherwise.

And thus he hung, a mighty Dovah carried above a city of mer, unlike any he had seen before. He had once again been caught my the Mer, but this time there seemed to be no troublesome man of magic wanting to drain his blood or ask him odd questions.

Yet, trapped he was, and this time there wasn't a Dovahkiin ready to free him either.

…

Chief of Police, Lin Beifong, daughter of the equally famous and infamous Toph Beifong sat at her desk, reading through a report of heightened crime connected to the Triple Threat Triads, a vicious gang of benders using their powers to oppress and bully non-benders in the city. They were exactly the reason why Amon and his cause gained followers in a steady stream. Non-benders were abundant, and they were unhappy.

It had become apparent a long time ago, that the problem wasn't in the fact that benders _could_ behave like platypus-bear dung. The problem was that so many were willing to do it. It was as if a part of the city's heart had become corrupted since the passing of Aang, and now she could only attempt to pick up the pieces as gangs and movements smashed her city around her.

"Chief Beifong!" A voice shouted, revealing itself to be Sergeant Zho Telo of the Metal Benders. He stood in the door to her office, panting as if he had run a trip after a Sato-mobile, managing to keep up with it. His armor was seared, and most of his moustache was missing. Suppressing a groan, Lin got up from her chair, clasping on her metallic wires to her back.

"Sergeant, what is it?" She demanded, walking past him out into the hallway. He instantly caught up to her, taking off his helmet as he wiped sweat from his forehead. The entire police station seemed to be alive with an unusual amount of activity.

"Ma'am, we… you won't believe what just… came in." He stuttered, trying to catch his breath. Lin turned to face him;

"What just came in then? Do tell, I'm sure I can believe most things these days."

"Well… we… I am not sure actually. Do you know any animals that spew fire and can talk at the same time?" The man asked, obviously nervous. Lin shot him a glare;

"Have you been drinking and then got in a fight with a firebender?" She demanded, not buying the story of talking animals. Especially since the fire breathing ones had died out long ago. For a moment, the man looked insulted, then bit his remark back and instead just pointed at the door leading to the dungeons. They had been built only in the odd case that a Sky Bison would go on a rampage, since few animals were big enough to warrant such space.

Lin sighed, grabbing the Sergeant by the collar as she headed for the door.

…

If anyone had asked him afterwards, Thor would staunchly have proclaimed that his first conscious thoughts were of Mjoll, being the faithful and loving husband he was. In truth though, the first thing he thought was that he was hungry, and then that he had done nothing to deserve the pain currently burning in his shoulder. Then it was replaced with an oddly numbing sensation, as if someone placed ice on a burn.

"We have some activity in the patient. I think, yes he's waking up." A woman said, causing Thor's eyes to shoot open. What he saw made him almost faint again. He was currently lying on a bed, wearing only his regular trousers. His shirt had been removed, baring his torso and several of his scars to the world. He then looked up, eyes falling upon a young woman with dark hair. He then noticed her hands.

"Talos…" He muttered, believing himself to be witnessing a new form of magic. The woman's hands were coated in film of water, acting like a pair of gloves, but pulsating and flowing as it did. There were other people in the room he could see, mostly women but a few men as well. None of them wore what he would call normal clothing, instead donning simple dresses or uniforms in red and blue, a few of them white as well. They seemed like average citizens, yet their clothes appeared to be of finer make than even the best of what he had found in Nobles' wardrobes. He had had a habit once, taking one piece of clothes when he visited a Nobleman's house. Sometimes a shoe, sometimes a pair of pants. It varied, but he never stole clothes from those who could not afford it. It was, after all, a mere habit, not a necessarily.

Now though, his days of thieving were long gone. They had been ever since he was rounded up by Imperial soldiers in fact, caught as he tried to escape into Skyrim. Thor tried getting up, only to discover himself to be clad in irons, tied to the bed.

For some reason that reminded him of one of his and Mjoll's nights in Solitude. Granted, they had used leather, but it was the same principle.

"Stay calm sir. My name is Corporal Tychus Nee. You were arrested breaking into and destroying multiple pieces of property in a private residence, but due to your injuries, you were taken to the station's medicinal ward. I am your guard until your shoulder is set." A man said. Thor looked up and saw a man somewhere in his late thirties, clad in a full set of strange steel armor. It looked nothing like what Thor had seen or worn back in Skyrim, but then again, it would have been odd if things had been the same.

Taking a new look at the man, Tychus was his name, Thor decided to ask him about where he was, and where the leader of the country or the city was. Either would do, in his opinion.

"I need to see whoever is in charge of this city immediately." He demanded, expecting the guard to free and obey him. Since he was the Dragonborn, that was a thing he had gotten used to when he tasked people with something. So it came to him as a disappointment, but not that big a surprise, when the guard instead shook his head;

"You will be kept here until you're bones are healed, then you will be transferred to a regular cell until we can sum up your case. Do you have anyone you want to contact? We have a phone here if you need it." Thor blinked a few times, not completely sure of what the man had offered. What was a phone? Still, it was about contacting people, and maybe Mjoll was searching for him along with Odahviing. Then again, they had been on the same trajectories as he, so it was also likely that they had been arrested for breaking into people's homes. Still…

"I… my head hurts. Where exactly am I?" Of course he had no issue with memory, but he needed to know as much as the guard would tell him. Seemingly, his plan worked. The guard, whose name he had already forgotten, looked at him with a raised brow before speaking;

"You must have hit the head harder than I thought. You are in Republic City, currently at the Beifong Police Headquarters medicinal ward. Remember, loss of memory is no excuse for breaking the law, so it won't help your case. Now, do you want to use the phone?" Silently swearing at his misfortune, Thor nodded, watching with growing confusion as the officer or guard brought to him a strange object connected to a set of strings. It looked like a pipe, but with several odds and ends fastened to it. He wondered just how it was supposed to help him to have an object like that at his bedside.

"I… need to find someone. My wife, her name is Mjoll. We… arrived here together, to this city, I think, but we were separated. There is a chance that she also ended up like me, in someone's house. I do not think I need to use the… phone, but I would be glad if you could find out if she is here as well." He pleaded. If orders didn't work, then maybe he could sway the man's heart. After all, love was a powerful motivator, and there was a popular saying in his home street. _Anything for love!_ It basically meant that the guard would look the other way if it was known that a minor crime was committed in the name of preserving love. He hoped the same was true here.

The guard sighed, rubbing his temples;

"Fine, I can check that for you. Are you sure you don't need to call someone though? A lawyer might be a good idea, given why you are here." Thor just did his best to keep up a smile, despite being shocked when the woman from before suddenly touched his shoulder again. It was cold, but oddly soothing at the same time.

He wondered if Mjoll was somewhere nearby, maybe even in this place as well.

…

"Open up you idiots! I need to find the Dragonborn! I am not a criminal!" Mjoll shouted, kicking at the door with her heavy iron boots, causing the entire area to reverberate with the noise. She had woken up in a cell, lacking all but a bucket and a bed. To think that she, Mjoll the Lioness, had been thrown in a prison, was nothing short of cruel irony. One of the guards seemed to have had enough. He walked over to her cell, looking inside. If anything, she took some pride in making the man stagger a few steps back with the next kick on the door.

"Shut up, will you? You're not getting out until the Chief has had a chat with you, so be quiet for the love of Agni!" He sneered, kicking the door as if returning a gesture. Mjoll raged inside, contemplating if she should attempt to shout her way free. The risk of that method was that innocents could be caught in the blast zones. If it meant defying her creed of protecting the innocents, Mjoll would rather bide her time in the cell or force her way out otherwise. The problem just consisted in the fact that she had woken up without her weapons. Though for some reason, the men had not removed her armor.

"Then get your Chief to come see me! I demand that you do something else than sit on your bums and play games." She growled, taking disdain in watching the guards play a game of cards while she was forced to wait for some chief tan to come and pay her a visit, most likely out of tradition, as she could not figure out why a Chieftain would bother himself with a prisoner. Maybe a 'Chief' was like a commander of the guard instead. It would make sense as to why the men referred to him as a man of power if such was the case.

"Lee, do we really have to listen to her shout for the next six hours? Can't we, I don't know, shut her up or something?" One of the guards said. The other one looked like he considered it, shooting Mjoll a glance before shaking his head;

"You go in and try if you want. I watched as they tried pulling the armor off of her, her muscles are huge. I'd rather not get too close to her." He said, not looking up from his deck of cards. Mjoll felt a warm ire well up inside her. Strangers had watched as her armor was removed? They had groped at her forms and contours? That was surely not the accepted behavior of the guard in this city. If so, then it was worse than Riften.

"I refuse to sit here and wait as an old woman. Retrieve your chief and get him or her to come and talk to me." Mjoll shouted, banging on the door again. Her rage only grew as the guards did their best to ignore her.

Maybe using the shout would prove to be the only way out?

* * *

**Well, that could have started better. It remains to be seen how Thor, Mjoll and Odahviing will react to the prospect of being imprisoned, but since they are who they are, it is likely they will not remain behind bars for long. Also forgive the errors, but I am a little tired at the moment. **

**This story is a sort of experiment. While I _do_ have a plan for it, I want to see if enough people review and consent with it to make it worth the time. Don't get me wrong, I want to write this, but if no more than two or three reads it, I may have a hard time keeping it up. Also, with risk of making comercial, go read 'Scorched Earth' by DeathSchythe'. You won't find a better LoA/LoK crossover out there. Believe me, I checked.**

**And yes, if you wondered just who the monk in the first chapter was, he is Roku. Not the former Avatar, but the very same spirit who follows Thomas from my other fic. Remember how he described having fooled the Dragonborn inthe guise of a Greybeard?**

**Anyway, R&R... whatever that means, but everyone seems to be writing it in their chapters, so... yeah. Just give me a review and make me a happy guy :)**


	3. Power of the Voice

**Damn... I just found out it only takes me óne good day to write a chapter, and it doesn't matter if it is Skyrim or Mass Effect.**

**In this one, we will see a contest of will, as well as something I suspect many have been looking forward to... well, those who read this so far at least. Still, I hope one day I can make many people smile with the end of this chapter. I certainly did.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_"Once the Voice corrupted Man, and man took life with the it, the Gods withdrew the gift of the Thu'um from all but a selected few. The Way of the Voice prohibits it from being a weapon of destruction, yet Man has once more learned the Thu'um. And the Thu'um was used for war, and war called Alduin back. Such did the Civil War change the World."_

History and Legends of Skyrim, Chapter Two.

Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

Power of the Voice

"When can I leave this place?" Thor asked, looking at the guard standing by his bed. Or actually he was sitting, but to the currently arrested Dragonborn, that fact mattered little in the grand scheme of things. What mattered was that he saw the leaders of the city and warned them about Alduin's coming. And if they chose not to believe him, he would just have to fight the reptilian son of a whore, no disrespect towards the Father of Time meant, of course. The guard, whose name Thor simply could not be bothered to remember, had seemed rather insistent that Thor had used the so-called 'phone', to call what was called a 'lawyer'. Apparently it was illegal to crash through the walls of a private residence. The fact that no one had been able to tell from where he had jumped or come to gain enough speed, seemed of little importance to the man next to him. In fact, he just scoffed.

"You ehm… seem to have some hearing-issues mate. You are under arrest, as in the fact that you cannot leave our custody and will eventually stand trial for armed breaking and entering. You can't simply _leave_ whenever you're healed. Also, I have to ask, this Mjoll-person… is she really your wife? She seems a bit… violent." He added, a slight look of worry on his face. This time it was Thor's turn to scoff at the guard. It was obvious that the people of this world weren't used to strong women.

"She is, and she is. Also, just when might you think I am healed from my injury?" He asked, slowly flexing his arm. The shoulder had stopped hurting some hours ago, thanks to whatever magic the woman was using. It was like nothing he had felt before. The closest thing he could think of would be a combination between a mild case of Frostbite and a spell of healing. Still, the usage of magical water was neither.

"Oh, in about a small fifteen minutes or so, I'd say. If you don't mind me asking though, just where are you from? I've seen people from all over the world, but your complexion and build… You'd almost strike me as an Earth bender from one of the Poles." The guard asked, seeming to study Thor's facial traits. The Imperial just smiled, remembering how his smooth complexion from Cyrondil had been weathered and hardened by years of living in Skyrim. He released a smug smile, yet pondered just what the word 'Earth bender' meant. He decided to ask;

"Something like that… also, you mentioned something called an 'Earth bender'… care to explain a bit more?" He would have laughed at the man's facial expression if it hadn't been for him being chained to a bed. In all honesty though, it was more an act of courtesy that he stayed there. If he wanted to, he could fairly easily freeze the chains before snapping them with his close to superhuman strength. He disliked the idea of utilizing the Dragon Aspect where he was, as it had a habit of making him more violent than necessary, but if they were going to get threatening, he would, of course, defend himself. They might start looking though, if he suddenly started glowing before snapping a chain that looked like it could restrain a troll.

"I take it you are well enough to make jokes then. Alright, I'll bite. Beats just sitting here anyway. An earth bender is a person who can force and bend the very rock and soil to his will. Since the time of Toph Beifong though, an earth bender can also bend steel and iron to his will. I reckon that the only reason they haven't stripped your 'wife', of her armor… must be because they can't do it without hurting her." So Mjoll was still armored? Goo- What did he say? Bend the very ground and steel to one's will? He would have deemed that impossible, but he had proven more than a few things thought impossible to be quite possible indeed. One of them was to travel to Sovngarde and back without a severe case of death sending you in in the first place. Still, this was a type of magic he had never thought possible. And as he thought about it, he realized just how helpful being able to force the very land beneath him to do his bidding would be.

"That is… incredi- I mean interesting. How about the woman who heals me? Certainly she doesn't use the earth to do that?" He asked, looking as said woman was standing over another patient, this one sporting severe burns. He had come in about half an hour ago, and seemed to be unconscious. Perhaps Odahviing had escaped the people wanting to arrest _him_, and was currently searching for him and Mjoll.

"Oh that? Temari is a waterbender from the northern tribes I think. She arrived at the station about seven years back. Alright, you seem to drive the 'what's bending?' thing, so how about air- and firebending?" The guard asked, looking quite satisfied that his charge seemed surprised. He probably assumed that Thor was from someplace in this world not knowing about 'bending'. Still, fire he knew. He used it often and well.

"Do tell, I'm eager to learn about this air- and firebending you mention." He said, repressing a small, smug smile. It would be a wise thing to press the man for information, but when people talked willingly, they were inclined to remember so much more than if he threatened to drive a sword through their face.

"Well alright then. Airbending is the rarest form of bending. Far as I know, only Councilmember Tenzin and his family are airbenders. Firebending is the ability to bend, create and control fire. Firebenders don't need any resources to create fire from their hands, mouth or feet, but as far as I'm concerned, fire is the weakest bending. Water can break down a wall of solid stone, and air can find a way through it. Fire can only heat it up though. That's it really, the four elements of bending. Any other questions while we're having fun?" The guard said, leaning back in his chair as he checked his armor for something Thor couldn't see. Now that Thor had learned what he wanted, he just needed one more thing answered, and he would be on his way, regardless if he was allowed to or not.

"Actually, yes. Where can I find the leaders of your nation? And, will you let me go when you have answered that question?" He tried keeping a smug smile down, almost wanting the guard to try and stop him. He didn't know why though, but it would be a good chance to show the people of this land just what powers he had if they tried keeping him and Mjoll holed up in their station. He should probably also try and find out just what a station was.

"First, the council is currently unavailable to even the most important guests. The current insurgency takes care of that. Also, they still need the councilman from Airtemple Island to come back from… well, honestly I have no actual idea as to where he is. But that doesn't really matter, because to answer your second question? No, you won't be getting out anytime soon. Unless you can pay the two-thousand Yuan for all the broken furniture and the wall, plus pay for the damages your… wife, has done to a stall of cabbage. And I doubt you have that kind of money, no offence, so… no, no leaving for you yet." The guard seemed annoyingly satisfied at that fact, and it didn't serve to make Thor's mood any better.

As a matter of fact he felt like punching the guy. Especially for the way he discussed Mjoll. There wasn't any respect when he spoke, as if he referred to a common criminal. She must be terrified, however she had ended up in prison, she must be desperate. Still, he knew the day he met her that if she felt cornered, she would be dangerous. In a way he was therefore more worried about the men guarding her, if there were any. Thor started focusing his magicka through the veins in his body and arms, preparing to do what he had to if the guard would refuse his release;

"Hmm… I fear you will need to let me go. And actually it will have to be right now." He said, causing the guard's eyes to widen;

"Ha! Mate, I don't know just who you think you are, but only a highly trained bender can get through those chains, and you don't exactly strike me as such. So no, stay where you are, and shut the hell-" The guard seemed to be getting annoyed. As a matter of fact that suited Thor just fine: He was pretty annoyed at the guard as well.

"I thought you might feel that way." He interrupted the man. Before either the guard nor anyone else in the room could react, Thor had unleashed a powerful combination of hardened frostbite and flames. In mere seconds he had melted and frozen the metal to a brittle enough state for him to simply snap and break. All the while, the guard's eyes seemed ready to pop from his skull. He stared in silent horror at Thor's hands, eyes darting between the torrent of frost and ice pouring from his left palm, to the gust of flame burning in his right. As soon as the chains had been snapped, Thor jumped from his bed, looking around as the nurses and healers fled the room. The guard, to his credit didn't scream of flee. Instead he seemed to overcome a moment of stupefied awe before he got to his feet as well, hands lifted as if for martial arts. Thor just poured more magicka into the elemental fountains of destruction, the intensity of ice and fire heightening. He had often thought it peculiar that he never received frost burns or burns in general when he spread fiery and cool destruction in his wake. Even when he directed the power of lightening he never felt more than a weak tingle and a few hairs standing straight. Magic was, in truth, a most powerful and wondrous thing.

"Im- impossible! The Avatar is on the South Pole! You can't bend more than one- stand the hell down!" He shouted, his voice etched with panic rather than rage or discipline. Thor allowed himself a small smirk, looking straight into the eyes of the guard. As the man suddenly threw his hands forward, Thor saw a pair of sharp steel cables emerging from his wrists. His sharpened and honed reflexes allowed him all the time he needed to draw in air;

"_FUS ROH!"_ Thor had no intentions of killing the man, despite how much he had annoyed him, but the second state of the unrelenting force was quite enough to send him crashing through the nearest wall, his heavy metal armor making him a literal heavy projectile. It almost reminded Thor of the defense of Whiterun, seeing a boulder from a catapult plow through the walls of a hovel.

Seeing how his Shout had proven to be quite effective, Thor waltzed over to where the unconscious guard was hanging from a hole in the wall, half of his body in one room, the other on the opposite side of the wall. With a casual mine belonging to a man who had hunted more dangerous foes as a sport, and indeed Thor had hunted the patrols and people of the Thalmor all over Skyrim, never leaving a witness to his deeds. As such he never needed to fear for repercussions from the Elves. Saunting over the body of the man, Thor pulled him from the wall before placing him on the floor. Wasting no time, he started peeling of the man's uniform and armor, not liking the fact that he himself only wore what amounted to his inner pants. Not something he abided showing to the public.

Listening for the screams to grow fainter, he finished clasping on the last parts of the guard's armor, then dragged the man bag to bed. Having placed his switcheroo in the bed, he readjusted his new set of polished, and surprisingly, well-fitting armor. It was actually a lot more comfortable than his own set made from Ebony, although he doubted that it even came close in stopping-power. He was still going to don his own armor when he found it. Placing his new helmet on his head, he could hear the sounds of heavy footsteps closing in, and stood near the bed, waiting for the, going by sound, at least ten guards to arrive. He wasn't made waiting long, as he was soon joined by eleven guards. Close enough, he thought, pointing at the now stripped guard on the bed;

"No need for alarm my friends. He attempted to flee with firebending, but I managed to beat him down. I could use something to drink though, but no help is needed." He said, smiling with trained ease as the guards looked at him, a few scratching their heads but otherwise just nodded.

"Alright, good job then. Although you will need some new chains, looks like he busted those." The seemingly leader of the guards said, pointing at the broken and molten chains. Thor just nodded, keeping his best gruff smile up.

"Ah yes, that is true. If one of you will guard him, I'll go retrieve the cuffs right away." He said, quickly making his way out of the room. Behind him, the leader of the guard sighed, taking a look at the chains;

"Damn… didn't take him for a firebender when I saw… saw… wait a minute…" While the leader of the guards came to the simple conclusion, Thor was already making haste through the place. He needed to find the captain of the guards, then beat the crap out of him until he was taken to Mjoll's cell. His movements were sped up by the stamina he had gathered during his travels across the tundra and mountains of Skyrim, and running down a corridor made from wood seemed like it made him fly instead of running. He ran down the corridors, reading signs as he ran past them. They were all written in odd languages, with symbols and letters he had never seen before. Yet, he could somehow read them. It was as if he subconsciously knew the language, yet he had never read or heard it before.

Suddenly he saw a sign that read _Chief of Police_. Not giving a second's thought to the people and eyes around him, he opened the door and walked in.

…

_An hour earlier_

Pain.

A feeling Odahviing knew all too well. He had, after all, experienced more fights than most humans lived in years. He had thought everything, right down from the meekest wolf and Saber tooth, to fellow Dovah and giants. Giants, the peaceful lumbering great men, proved to be the hardiest opponents by far. Their skin could resist even a powerful breath of fire from only a meter away, and their arms and weapons could break the bones of any Dovah with one fell swoop.

And yet, the pain he currently experienced was worse than the pain of having his tail broken by the club of a giant. It wasn't as much physical pain as it was a wound to his pride that stung. He had called himself the mightiest being in the world after Alduin and Paarthurnax, then the Dovahkiin had proven him wrong and won his loyalty. Now, it was not the Dragonborn who had defeated him, but the hideous technology of man. He, a mighty Dovah, had been hogtied like a wild boar, held in the air by the insane contraption that allowed man to take to the sky.

And now he was chained, held to the wall with solid steel, thicker than any he had experienced before. When he had attempted to burn and melt the metal, he had found himself running out of breath before he could do more than liquefy the surface, only causing the chains to become more stiff and uncomfortable. In the end, he had made up his mind to, if he were to end his life caged like a Mudcrab on show, at least take as many of his captors with him as he could. And so, he waited. His wait was not in vain, as not long after his imprisonment, a set of large and thick doors of steel had opened at the end of his chamber. Snide and cunning as Dovah were, he lay down his head, pretending to be asleep.

With an eye opened a fraction, he could hear and see a human walk inside his chamber, clad in the iron and steel of the men with cables. Therefore it was clear to him that she, as it proved to be a she indeed, had to possess the very same metallic ropes. He would not be trapped twice.

"See Chief? What _is_ this thing?" He could hear a nervous voice belonging to a man. He sounded and smelled young, not much more than twenty winters. Maybe twenty-five. Odahviing could smell fear radiating off of the man like from a horse on the run. He repressed a rumbling chuckle as well as a toothy grin that would have given him away.

"What in the… to be frank, I have no idea… the only things I can think of that spew fire and flew are the dragons, but they died out hundreds of years ago." Odahviing felt his eyes attempting widening stare. There were dragons in this world? At least, there had been, and should Alduin when he arrived manage to shout them to life and convince them to join him, it would mean trouble. Still, the Dovah of Skyrim had only joined him because he was first born from Akatosh. He could see no reason why the ancient dragons of this world would do so.

"Ma'am, it spoke as well. What animals can speak? I don't think even Avatar Roku's dragon could fly, and that was the most intelligent dragon ever recorded. Also, this thing looks _nothing_ like the pictures. It's so… big and… ugly." That did it. Odahviing had been insulted at the capture alone, but to call a Dovah, the flying horrors and beasts of myth, ugly… that was a transgression against the Dovah-creator Akatosh himself. Snapping his eyes open, Odahviing stared down the suddenly aware pair of humans. The male jumped back with horror written in his face, but the female stood her ground, staring straight back at the Dovah. Odahviing actually felt her stare being as strong as his, her sharp grey eyes burning as strong as his own black and red gaze. Odahviing felt a deep chuckle rise in his throat as the insulting male retreated to the far side of the room, clearly having no intentions of going anywhere nearer the beast.

"Hrrrmmm hrmm hrrmmmm…. _De vas toul kvín, mol tek asle falir… _I do not think you are a coward woman, so speak. _Me tak son tolire_, I will listen and… _Tel vas Yol_, I will not breathe flame, if you speak wise." He rumbled, and the smell of human urine from the man reached his nostrils, causing him to snort. To her credit, the only reaction the woman had was her face growing a bit paler and her eyes widening.

"Just what in the world are you supposed to be, and what the hell are you doing in my city?" She demanded, causing him to grin, his large bared teeth catching her eye. He was content, in a way, that she had not insulted him. Still, it would mean he would have to roast her as well if the other human insulted him while being on the other side of her.

"Hmm… not an answer as I understand it, but… maybe I can forgive it. I am, not as you think a monster, but an intelligent _Kresul, _being." He rumbled, causing the room to vibrate and return his voice as an echo.

"Yeah I think that much is clear by now. Still you didn't answer me: Just what the hell are you?" Odahviing could not know, but Lin Beifong was one of the strongest earthbenders alive. He blinked a few time, looking at her with slightly annoyed eyes as he processed how to respond to her rudeness. Even the annoying wizard had been more polite. He had even bowed.

This woman though, she showed no respect that a Dovah was due. She treated him like a _men loke_, a human criminal. He snorted, letting fire escape his nostrils for effect, then spoke;

"I am a Dovah, a Dragon of the Legends of Skyrim! I bear great power, and my kind would have reaved the world if not for the men of the North. I am of myth, and yet of flesh. I am son of a Divine, son of a God. Akatosh all father made Alduin as first-born son, yet I was not long after. I am the right hand of the Dovahkiin, the one you men of the worlds call the Dragonborn. He is man, yet his soul is Dovah. He is warrior mightiest, and he is the savior of mankind. I am entitled to respect as his follower, I-"

"- Am starting to get on my nerves." Lin said, causing Odahviing to stumble in his monologue. He looked at the human, currently leaning forward with crossed arms. Not even the Dragonborn had dared so when they first met; "I am amazed that you can talk, still it doesn't mean that I should have any reason to take anything you say for granted. That would be like trusting someone just because he can fly or bend both fire and ice. I haven't been chief of police for more than thirty years because I trusted everything unnatural that came my way. You'll stay locked up here until councilman Tenzin can have a look at you." She said, turning to leave. The Dovah looked at her with angry eyes, furious over having been ignored and then dismissed. He was a Dovah!

"_Nid! Men lok tel! _No! You will listen! Alduin, eater of worlds is coming, and his fire is that of the fire raging in the very core of the Oblivion. You must find the Dragonborn and serve him! You must free me and let me serve him! Only-"The sound and sight of the thick metal doors shutting in front of him caused his rage to grow to new heights. He had not only been insulted and ignored. He had been dismissed and called a liar. He would not take it, nor would any Dovah. He would break out, even if it would cost him the bones of his tail or the flesh of his body.

…

Lin Beifong slumped down in her chair, breathing in a tired breath. She had not expected to be faced with a talking creature claiming to be a Dovah or a Dragon from the legends of some place or time called Skyrim. It had been lying, of course, but she still had no idea what the thing was, if not a dragon. Also she would have to have her men track down its origin. If there were more of those creatures, she would have the city on full alert. Nothing less could be tolerated. Idly, she picked up the photography of her and her mother in the _Jasmine Dragon_. It had belonged to the now long-passed away Iroh, former general of the Fire nation army. These days it was run by her mother. She was eighty-two, yet she would not let it prevent her from kicking ass and carrying on the tradition of her old friend. Lin felt a tired smile come to her face as she looked at the picture. On it, she had been no more than ten, and her mother's hair had still been black as coal. It was taken while she had been telling the story of how she had whooped butt back in the days, before she had met Lin's father.

In the background an old, but still alive Iroh was smiling, holding a tray with cups and a can of tea. His hair had already started to thin, but he had lived long, as Lin recalled. He had even seen the child of Fire lord Zuko, his beloved nephew, grow up. Still, it had not lasted as long as Lin, and Toph, would have liked, and only five years after the picture was taken, he had passed away in his sleep. Her mother, being too old to effectively run the police, had taken up residence in Ba Sing Sei, and had continued running the shop until she would die, as she had put it herself.

"Damn… been ages since I was in Ba Sing Sei… maybe I need a vacation…" She muttered, setting the picture back on the table. Standing up, she wandered around the office for a bit, feeling oddly restless, as if a threat was imminent.

That's when her door opened.

…

Thor shut the door after he walked in, then turned around to take in his new surroundings. It was a room sparsely furnished, with a single desk, a few chairs and a bookshelf. That last part got his attention though, as it was by it a woman with grey hair stood, looking as if he had interrupted her in the middle of picking a book.

"Yes officer?" She asked, her voice stern and hard, showing signs of no tolerance for people who wasted her time. For some reason, Thor felt a creepy reminder of the mistress of his childhood orphanage. Not the most positive reaction to the person who appeared to be in charge of the city's guards. Yet, he breathed in, feeling a grim smile come to his lips. He knew not to underestimate women, and it was highly possible that she possessed the same odd cables that the guard in the healer's area had. Still, he felt more than comfortable with his chances;

"You are the Chief of the police guard here? The one in charge?" He asked, silently readying himself to Shout the woman against the wall if she proved unwilling to help him. Not that he would give her a choice though. The noble and friendly Dragonborn had been washed down the stream when they had arrested him as his first experience in their strange land. The woman stood before him, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked like she thought he was either joking or lost;

"The Chief of Police, yes that's me, Lin Beifong. Who are you?" She asked, sounding like her patience was wearing even thinner than her looks suggested.

"Just an officer. I need to find the gear of the recently arrested Imperial brought in for… armed breaking into a house." He replied, keeping his smile at a polite level, and not the mixture of smugness and want for violence he currently felt. If this woman was the one in charge, she would also know where Mjoll was, and she would have been the one to place her in the cell. Also, she might know of Odahviing's whereabouts. But he needed to find his gear first. As Aren's finest graduate, Thor was an adept in the arcane arts. Still, he preferred the physical touch of his great sword to the fleeting heat or cold of magic.

"Why do you need that? What's your name and number?" She asked, looking at him with narrowing eyes. He knew his cover was as good as blown, so instead of waiting for her to figure him out, he made the dramatic reveal he loved doing when people doubted him. For a highwayman, facing the legendary Dragonborn was quite different from facing a random armed stranger.

"Beifong, I need you to do as I say, or a whole world of pain will arrive at your doorstep. Because I'm the man you arrested, and frankly I am sick of being jailed for doing what I am supposed to. Your world will be set upon by the World-Eater, and I was sent here to bring him down. Instead, I am jailed." He said, holding up his hands, one cackling with energy, the other bright with flame. Seeing her eyes widen and her stance change, Thor continued; "I am the Dragonborn, also called the Dovahki-" As he spoke, he had been on guard for her to use the same cables as the man from before had. What he had not been on guard for, was for the floor, conveniently made from stone, to rise up and kick him out through the door, causing him to take both it and a good chunk of the wall with him.

Only idly pondering the fact that he had just been kicked out by the _floor_, Thor watched as the room he had started in grew in distance, then he felt himself hit and penetrate another wall. He had expected to then slide down the next one, coming to a rest as the woman would saunter towards him, gloating. Instead, he felt only air beneath him, and he turned slightly in the air, just in time to see a large hall with countless people, some in armor but most in civilian clothing, stand around and doing business as some of them turned to look for the source of the large cracking sounds. He had heard them as well, of course, but wondered if they came from the wall or his bones. At least he didn't feel a stinging pain yet, but that would surely come when he hit the ground… and then he did.

Hitting a row of tables and desks with full speed, while also wearing armor made from steel, Thor plowed through wood and glass, feeling splinters and debris showering the surrounding area as he slowly came to a stop, feeling his helmet being more than just buckled after the fall. Screaming and shouting gradually made their way to his ears, and he opened his eyes, watching as a man-sized hole in a wall about five meters up now decorated the walls. Starting to get up again, he then saw the woman, Beifong as she had called herself, appeared in the hole. Thor sneered, rolling his sire joints before realizing with a content smile that nothing was broken, at least not anything important. He then looked back up at her, readying himself for a new beating from the wall or the floor. The guard from his sick-bed hadn't exaggerated when he called their bending 'powerful'. Thor had tried getting hurt a lot of ways in his life, but this was the first time he had been given the boot by the floor itself.

"Officers! Arrest that man!" He snapped back to reality as the woman shouted, and at least two dozen people in metal armor ran towards him. Cursing under his breath, both for being beaten up by an oversized floor-tile and for not being armed, he readied himself for their assault. They weren't, after all, the only ones with powers. Looking and facing the largest concentration of the men, he drew in breath;

"_FUS RO DAAAH!"_

* * *

**Unrelenting Force... 'nuff said.**

**Till next time, though I suspect the next chapter I write will be for 'Carefull...' Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and see you... well, next time.**


	4. Battle of the Beifong Police Station

**Alright, since I posted chatpter 44 of 'Careful...', now is the time to post a chapter of Skyrim/Korra. I know, it isn't fair that the 'Careful...' chapters are twice as long, but this story will be with short and managable chapters. Some people find long chapters to be eyeburners, and I agree. Therefore the chapters of 'Bender of the Thu'um' will be shorter as a result. **

**Also, you guys seemed to think the Dragonborn was getting owned? I think this might change your minds. Just remember that the woman is Lin Beifong. She isn't just some push-over bender. **

**Well, let us get to it. **

* * *

"_Go screw your son and bear his children you inbred and corrupt cow!" - _Mjoll the Lioness to Maven Blackbriar prior to the multiple beatings the Lioness contracted three days before the arrival of the Dragonborn in Riften.

Imperial missive on potential informers and threats.

Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

Battle of the Beifong Police Station - part 1

"Last warning: Let me out, or your door will decorate the opposite wall." Mjoll growled, staring at the two guards who seemed to want most of all to forget about her being there. She wasn't going to let them though. She knew property-damage was a bad way to start off a new life in a new place, but she would make good on the threat if they didn't open the door and said sorry _very_ genuine.

"Will you please just shut-" The man on the right snarled, but was interrupted when it felt like an earthquake shook the building. Dust came from the ceiling and the loose objects clattered as Mjoll could feel a very familiar tinge in the air.

"The hell was that?" The other one asked, looking at the ceiling, then his colleague, then the ceiling again. It was clear that this was not what they had been expecting from their day on duty, if this could even be considered being on duty. They had just been spending the last five hours Mjoll knew off, standing around and either insulting or ignoring her shouts for justice.

"Beats me… should we go check?" The first guard asked, looking at a door of solid iron that made for the exit of the room. Mjoll's eyes had been on it a few times as she considered how to get out with the least collateral damage done. The other guard palmed the helmet of his colleague;

"Of course we should go check, you dimwitted moron! If the station is under attack or something, all hands are needed. Now come on!" He barked, grapping his own helmet before grapping his colleague as well. the other man hesitated, looking at the cell containing the raging and ready-to-maim Nord, Mjoll.

"What 'bout her?" He asked, pointing a finger at Mjoll. The other guard seemed annoyed as he grapped his colleague again, starting to haul him out of the room;

"That door is solid lead. Not even Beifong could break out, now get your arse up there." He demanded, leading the way out of the room. Mjoll watched the two men leave with a sense of relief. Now she only needed to worry about the door in front of her. The man had said it was made from solid lead, but that seemed to be a metal Mjoll didn't know. She tapped her knuckles at it, being rewarded with a softer sound than what steel would have made.

She then leaned back and stomped the inside of the door hard with an armored boot. She left a small dent in the door, causing a few of the other prisoners in the block, because apparently she found herself being in a long room containing up to ten other cells. At least, that was what she could see through the bars in her door. She looked at the obstacle again, considering simply melting it with a _Yol Tor Shul, _but thought better of it, as the heat and fire in the closed proximity would likely roast her as well. As well as the Unrelenting Force had a risk of being cast back from the door as it impacted, flattening both the door _and_ her.

Sending a new kick at the door, she was rewarded with a new dent in the first one, this one a little deeper. Still, she knew it would take too long and cost her too much strength simply kicking her way out of the room. So instead of just applying brute force, she considered her options. An advantage of being a Nord was that while both sexes were hardy and tough, it often seemed that the brains had been granted to the women only. With a smirk on her lips, she stepped into the middle of the cell, making sure to have enough space for her Shout. She then breathed in and exhaled, an exercise Paarthurnax had taught her in one of their many sessions on the peak of High Hrothgar. She held her eyes closed as she went over each word of the shout, memorizing the word and the sound she would have to make. In all honesty, this would be the first time she used the Shout meant for those with need for quickness;

"_Su-Grah-Dun!"_ The words caused the air itself to ripple and vibrate as they left her mouth, imbuing her legs and arms with unnatural strength and speed. Feeling the energy course through her limbs, she smiled. It was not a friendly smile, or the warms smiles she would send Thor. It wasn't a polite smile either, or even a thin smile meant for people she disliked but had to bear with for others' sake. No, her smile was one of victory and knowing that she had power that the men of this world could only dream of.

And now she would give the cell-door a taste of it.

With speed that seemed to cause the rest of the world to slow down, she raised her foot again and heaved it into the air for a new kick. She then sent it forward, crashing against the metallic form of the door. It buckled considerably, two of its hinges snapping as she kicked it. The she kicked it again. The frame crushed, and the last hinges were torn from it. It still stood though, but as she poked it, she saw that it only held on with a fraction of its frame having been bent to stick to the wall. With a smirk, she raised her foot one last time, then kicked the door.

Lead, as heavy as it was, still wasn't safe from being sent flying across the room before impacting on the wall, just as Mjoll had promised. The only difference was that it didn't stick but instead just hit the wall with a resounding _clang_, before it toppled over and hit the ground hard.

Rolling her shoulders with a casual attitude, Mjoll stepped out of the cell that had been her home for a seven long wake hours. To say that she would miss it would be the same as saying Ulfric had just kissed a Thalmor. A lie. Shouting began emerging from the other cells, whistles and shouts of panic or awe being the most common of the shouts. Of course, there was only a small fraction of a possibility that the other people in the cells were innocents as well, so when she moved past a cell where a guy stuck out his hand and grabbed her shoulder, she locked a pair of _cold_ eyes on him, causing him to wither and withdraw his hand without her even having to reduce him to a stain on the wall.

Having otherworldly powers had its benefits. It had even had in Skyrim, where being able to shout a thief into orbit of Secunda, the smaller of Tamriel's two moons, had proven to cause crime-rate around her to drop significantly. Mjoll then faced the door she had seen the guards run through, and she could once again feel the ripples in the air as a Shout was being cast, somewhere nearby. She tried opening the door but found it to be locked. It had to be a bar-system on the other side. Shrugging, Mjoll kicked at the new door, finding it to be much weaker than the first one. She smiled, then kicked again, causing the door to bend inwards and allow her access.

Looking around in the room she now stood in, she eyed the lockers and boxes placed across the room. She went to one of them, hoping to find her axe in it. All she found was a set of strange metal armor that seemed alike to what the guards had worn. She discarded it, knowing the strength of her own armor was more than enough to stop a frontal attack with a sword or an axe. Going through the other crates and containers she only discovered them to hold mostly sets of the armor, or what looked like metal coiled up like spun rope. She couldn't figure out the use for it and discarded it as well. She then looked inside the final locker, finding it to contain a strange gauntlet decorated with odd trinkets that she could not figure out the use for. From what she had seen so far, none of the people here were strong enough to use it as a regular glove, and it didn't look solid enough to be used in combat. Still, considering the fact that her own gauntlets had been taken from her, with the thought in mind that the edges on the iron-protectors could be used to kill people with, an interesting idea that Mjoll regretted never having used. This gauntlet would serve as a replacement until she either found herself happy with it or found her own gauntlets again. Mjoll could then pick up distant cries of fear and pain, and as she slipped the gauntlet on, she sped up the stairs in front of her, heading for the roof or surface of whatever building she was in.

…

_Five minutes earlier_

As Lin Beifong walked up to the hole in the wall, she watched with no small remark of curiosity as her assailant got to his feet. She was intrigued, given the fact that a fall from this height, after having been smashed through two sets of walls, should not have left the man in a state where he could get up again. In all fairness he should have been ripe for the collecting.

Instead he was now standing again, his helmet having vanished and allowing her to see his highly unusual hair color being blond. This was unusual because everyone she knew of had dark hair. In fact, now that she thought of it, the only person she knew of to have something else than dark hair was the former princess of the Northern Water tribe. The girl had been white-haired, from what she could remember. Still, that was close to eighty years ago, and she had been touched by the Moon Spirit to which she had given back her life when the Fire Nation had attacked the tribe. Lin _had_ been paying attention in school. Mostly because her mother had warned her that she would become like Aang if she didn't. Aang had been a good-natured, often goofy kid, and later a well-meaning man. And yet, he had hardly been able to spell his own name or count to above a hundred. He also knew very little of the past except for that of the Avatar's. In short, he had been intelligent, but illiterate.

Now, she watched as the man below her stared right up at her. No, _stared_ was the wrong word. He glared at her with a fire behind his eyes shared by the beast in the cellars. She couldn't quite shake the uncomfortable similarity she saw. Still, she had a job to do, and she would do it, even if the moon itself came down to stop her;

"Officers! Arrest that man!" She shouted, catching the attention of all the armed and armored personnel in the room below her. There were at least twenty-five officers down there, and she could have more called in at a moment's notice. For now though, she felt confident that twenty-five were enough. The man in question was a firebender, no argument there. He had had fire and lightning in his hands, and despite the fact that the way the cackling electricity had behaved, it had been firebending. Then, there had been the fact that he had used the same word as the beast. 'Dragonborn', whatever that meant, had been something they had both tried using as leverage, despite her not knowing why. It was pretty obvious that the man before her hadn't been spawned from a dragon-egg, and that the whole idea seemed more like it had been made up by someone high on Firepowder. They got a few addicts in each month, sorry cases as they were.

She continued watching as her officers closed in on the man, spinning out their cables to arrest and seize him with. He had looked like he had a case of coughing then, breathing in and out deeply enough that she could feel it through the ground from where she stood. And then, she could suddenly feel what reminded her of a massive build-up in chi. Her first thought was that the man would firebend from his mouth, and she was about to order her men to cover or to quicken up their arrest.

And then, the man opened his mouth. Yet instead of fire, out came something entirely else;

"Fus-Roh-Dah!"

…

As he unleashed the Thu'um, Thor watched in grim satisfaction as the power swept through the room, pulling with it the entirety of all furniture and personnel in the room, armored or not. They flew, arms and legs dangling in empty air before crashing against the walls and floors of the room. He curled up a fist before shaking it at the opponents facing him still, those few who had managed to shoot their weird cables at the ground before hitting the walls. Granted, they numbered in a total of seven, but he still felt the need to gloat and mark his status. He was the Dragonborn, but if he had learned one thing from his time in Skyrim, it was that guards rarely cared about status. They were cheaply bribed though, but would attempt to arrest him for stealing a bouquet of flowers from outside a hovel. He had always wondered just how they knew.

"Come at me, you idiotic dogs! You seem keen on facing the might of the Dovahkiin, so try and take me!" He shouted, causing more than one to gaze at his colleagues. _Fear_, he knew they felt it. He could feel it radiate from them as he slowly made his way through the room. The men looked coiled up, ready to attack at a moment's notice. And yet, he felt that his show of force had them disheartened. It was understandable, he supposed. They had never faced anything like him, so they had a right to be frightened. And yet, he had seen mere guards attack Dragons an giants in Skyrim, fighting for the lives of those who could not. Those men had had the courage and sexual equipment of a Dragon, and he had been proud when he joined them in taking down a threat to a village or a city. They might have been dumb, trying to arrest him as they often had, but none could doubt their courage.

These people on the other hand…

They had power that the men of Skyrim, of Tamriel in general, would kill for. They could force the ground and steel to do their bidding, and yet they were cowering, frightened of a single man. That he was the Dragonborn did not count in the equation.

"Well? Are you coming at me, or do I need to stomp your corpses into the ground you claim to master?" He demanded, glaring at them as the men slowly stepped forward. Then, a form impacted on the ground before them, and as the dust settled, he saw that it was the Chief of the Guard-Police, the woman named Beifong. She, on the other hand, seemed a worthy opponent. She had the vigor and the steely determination he found attractive in women, friendly and hostile both. Still, he preferred the red-blond woman locked up somewhere in the building he was in, and he would have to see her free as soon as he didn't have to worry about a psychotic woman with the power to kick his head in with a floor-tile.

"That's better. That really hurt, that you threw me through the walls and the air. Still, I guess I have been through worse. Now come on, you can start out." He said with a smug smile as he opened his mouth. He knew he could take them, and as such, his more casual side took over and made him crack a smile as he summoned the next shout;

"_Feim Zu Grom!" _

Instantly, he felt the emptiness of the void touch him, and his flesh became ectoplasm. He felt as his feet sank into the ground for an instant before he willed them to connect to the surface. He could see straight through his own body, a fact that never failed to both unnerve and amuse him when it happened. Then, looking up from his own body, he noticed the horrified eyes of the crowd I front of him. They were all, even the woman included, looking at him with what amounted to a mixture between horror and awe.

"Well? Aren't you going to pummel me down?" He asked, a snide smirk on his lips as he regarded the guards. True, he was physically incapable of being touched or touching others, but he still wanted the fight they themselves had caused. Divines be damned if they just gave up now.

"Are you… the spirit of an Avatar?" The woman asked, almost looking at him like he would look at a Divine. He had actually seen one, so he could speak from experience. Still, the word 'Avatar' made no sense to Thor. He knew it meant something, but he had never used or heard the word in any practical situation or connection. Therefore he dismissed the question;

"Told you before, I am the Dragonborn. Your word 'Avatar' means nothing to me. Now let me see what you have, old Hagraven." He bellowed. The eyes of the woman instantly changed from awe-filled to confused, to angry. Then, she leapt at him, long cables of metal shooting at him from her arms. Knowing that he could not be hurt, Thor made no movements, instead watching idly as the remainder of the guards followed their leader. Thor cracked his now transparent knuckles, watching with glee as his female opponent's cables reached him… and shot straight through her.

He could hardly imagine the surprise and horror going through her mind as he set off from the floor, his form now weighing less than twenty kilos. They then soared towards each other, him with a smirk on his lips while she looked like death was approaching. Then then impacted, his form becoming one with her for one brief second, and then they parted again, with him flying through the air before landing at the wall where the most of the guards had impacted. Groans and moans of agony filled his ears when he stepped down on the ground again. He briefly looked at the somewhat beaten up guards;

"I really am terribly sorry about that." He mused, smiling with harsh satisfaction as he looked upon his doing before returning his gaze to the woman in front of him. She looked like she had just seen a ghost. On further thought, Thor realized that she probably just had. With a roll of his shoulders, he strolled up to them, keeping his eyes on the guards surrounding their chief. They looked about ready to soil their drawers. And he _loved _it.

As he took another step, they attacked in unison, some of them sending their cables at him while other used the floor as a weapon, hurling large disks of stone at him. He smiled as the cables penetrated his form, and felt a wind when the disks, large enough to give a giant a headache, passed right through his head. He then walked closer to the men, now being within two meters of them. They stopped attacking, instead just looking at him with horror painted on their faces. He could even hear one of them praying silently. He then bent forward, reaching the face of the foremost guard;

"Boo" Thor whispered, looking straight into the man's eyes.

The man fainted, leaving his comrades to fend for themselves. As Thor was about to repeat the success, he suddenly felt the floor move under him, and due to the fact that his feet were firmly planted on the ground, he felt a surge of panic course through him as the ground suddenly lifted up in a large flat square. As his form was smacked midsection by the rocky surface, the ethereal form dissipated, leaving the physical form of the Dragonborn to fly through the air before he crashed into one of the nailed-down desks not having been hurled by his Thu'um.

At the other end of the room, Lin Beifong picked herself up as she recovered from the emotional and psychic trauma she had just experienced. She had gone _through_ another person, and he had come out grinning. She now looked at the slowly recovering form of the man calling himself Dragonborn as he got up from the desk, now cracked mid-section as if a Rhino-horse had impacted on it. By all rights, he should not be able to move a muscle at this point. And yet he got back up.

Thor grunted, feeling as if something was drilling into his body. He moved a hand to the point and found that one of the plates in his armor had been forced inwards and had pierced his skin, drawing a long gash at his thigh. He grit his teeth in silenced suffering as he brought a hand down on the wound, allowing more benevolent energies to flow though his body as he focused the healing powers at the wound. As always, the light that surrounded him was almost blinding, but a warm feeling soon followed, making him feel much better. He looked down at his wound and noted that it had been reduced to a mere scar. He then looked back up, setting off and landing on the floor with firm footing. Wiping a little sweat from his chin, he looked back at the remaining guards. The one who had fainted was still down, but the rest were ready to face him.

"I think it's time you just stepped aside. Clearly you are outmatched here humans." Thor said, keeping his stare steady and his grin hidden. Despite the fact that he had the soul of a Dragon, Thor was as much human as anyone else. He just enjoyed the mythic reverence people held him in. Therefore he didn't see it as lying when he called his opponents humans, thereby implying that he himself wasn't human. It was psychological warfare, and he had learned that it worked well. Especially after a demonstration of his skill with the Thu'um.

"I don't know what you are, but I'm not letting you loose in Republic City." The woman named Beifong swore, getting into a combat stance. Thor rolled his shoulders at the comment, silently being rather impressed with the woman's virtue. She could be of value when Alduin showed up. Still, Thor had picked up enough to know that something or someone called 'the Avatar' was the most important person or being to these people. If it was a person, he and Mjoll would look into what assistance the person could provide. Was it instead a weapon, he would wield it and use it against Alduin. Seeing as neither he nor the woman seemed keen on starting out, he instead opted to ask her;

"Tell me, where is the Avatar?" It might have seemed incredibly naïve to ask something like that, but almost no matter what response he got, it would tell him something about the Avatar. If the woman said that he would never get his hands on it, he would know it to be an object, most likely a weapon. Did she instead tell him that he would never find him, he would know it was a human, and thereafter he could plan accordingly. The scowls on the Chief's face darkened at his words;

"Do you honestly think I'm going to reveal her location? You're even more insane than I thought." She growled, clearly not aware of the mental smirking he was doing at the moment. He had just been told that the Avatar was not a weapon but a person. And a woman even. This could prove to be interesting. Maybe he could squeeze more information out of the chief;

"Don't you think she's a little too young to be doing this?" He asked, preparing himself to evade the moment she would have had it and attack him. Beifong grunted, not answering but instead jumping forward and stomped at the ground. A wall of solid rock shot up from the ground, stopping at two meters height. It then suddenly started careening forward at a speed that would strain a good horse. With only moments to spare, Thor inhaled before exhaling in a Thu'um;

"_Tiid-Klo-Ul" _It was more of a whisper than an actual shout, but the ancient language of the dragons held its own, forcing time itself to slow down as he neatly stepped the eight steps he needed to, out of the way of the massive wall of rock that sped towards him. As he deemed himself in the clear, he ended the effect, feeling the tremors as the rock collided with the wall behind him, crushing the desk completely in the process. He felt a brief relief that none of the guards from earlier had been in the way.

"You will have to do better than that!" He shouted back, then ran forward towards the group until he reached maximum efficiency distance. He skidded to an abrupt halt as he drew in air once again, his body starting to feel the strain from the constant use of the Thu'um. There had been a time where he had needed long periods of time between the shouts as his physical body had some difficulties getting used to the powers released in a shout;

"_Liss-Slen-Nus!"_ As he spoke the words, the temperature in the room fell to below zero around him, and from his mouth the cold of Dawnstar emerged, surging forward in a withering blizzard of frost. Of the group of guards facing him, only two escaped the freezing Thu'um as it encased the remainder of the guards in solid but non-lethal ice. The idea with this Shout was to bring hostiles to a halt, otherwise too powerful to be harmed by even the Unrelenting Force. Then he would have been able to run up close and cut down his enemies. For this situation though, it was more to simply incapacitate the guards as he knew each person could make a difference when Alduin would arrive. It would be a year from when he had banished Alduin, which gave him roughly one or two at the max months to prepare. In all honestly he feared that it was the former, and that Alduin would be in this world in less than thirty days. Still, he bit back his worries in favor of dealing with Beifong and the remaining guard.

"Oh Spirits! What did he do to them?!" The man shouted in panic, looking at his colleagues whose eyes moved comically beneath the encasement of transparent ice. Beifong shot the trapped men a look before she looked at her remaining guard;

"Get them out of there Sergeant. I'll handle this one." Thor couldn't suppress a small smile at her confidence. Apparently he would have to turn up the heat if he wanted to make a lasting impression. Feeling his throat aching from the overuse of the Thu'um though, Thor opted to use alternate methods and instead allowed his hands to come alight with cackling energy and fire. This time though, he would not simply use the close-range version of the devouring flames. Instead, his will came to be and the fire became more concentrated within the shapes of small throwable spheres. Flexing his fingers while he felt the coursing energy, he beckoned for the woman to make the first move. She did, literally kicking a landslide his way, forcing him to roll to the side to avoid having his legs broken. He then sprung to his feet and unleashed a stream of energy, aiming to knock the woman out and potentially kill her if she persisted in being a threat. She could become more trouble than she would be worth in the end, seeing how she had him marked for an unmistaken criminal. He felt idly shocked at the sight of the woman simply erecting a wall of solid stone, its top bearing the pattern of the tiles usually decorating the floor.

The lightning hit the wall instead of the woman, simply dissipating into the rock. Growling at the sight, Thor ran forward, not letting up with the lightning as he moved forward. Meanwhile he could see the other guard doing his best not to be caught in the crossfire. Thor leaped around the wall, bringing his flames to bear on the spot where the woman had been, yet instead of hitting and scorching the troublesome wench, he hit only the ground. The woman had gone, but where? He had kept eyes on both sides of the wall and would have seen it if she had snuck out behind him.

"Where in the Oblivion did she go?" He asked himself, almost hoping for an answer. He didn't like the one he got though, as a pair of hands suddenly emerged from a crack in the ground, pulling his legs down. He only had time to shout in anger as he disappeared into the ground up to the waist. He roared in anger, then started pounding the very ground as if _it_ had been the offender trapping him, not the woman who somehow practiced 'earth-diving', however insane that sounded.

Suddenly, the ground opened up in front of him, almost as if it spat out the woman. She stood before him, briefly panting hard before she stood straight, seemingly noting with satisfaction that her opponent had been defeated. _She had no idea_, Thor thought, attempting to clean his throat. A Shout needed to be voiced and pronounced right, or else the caster could be hit with a serious backlash in the worst cases. If not, simply nothing would happen.

"Got you." She said, looking at him with glee and disdain. It was clear that she believed herself the victor of their fight, and yet he was nowhere near finished. He had wanted not to use his next Shout for more than one reason. First of all, it was the most powerful he had, and with that he would show the full measure of his powers and just where his borders were. The second reason was that it made him violent and disturbing. The first time he had used it, it was as if something had failed inside him. As if the Dovah had taken him over a little when he had utilized the ultimate power in the Dragonborn's arsenal.

"Not even close." He snarled, the inhaled a deeper breath than before, needing the air to manage his ultimate Shout;

"_Mul…Quah-Diiv!"_

* * *

**You wanted Thor to be badass, now you'll get it. For those who do not remember what this special shout is... you are in for a positive surprise.**


	5. Fire and Stone

Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

Battle of the Beifong Police station. Part 2

Fire and Stone

Lin Beifong could not be blamed for sloppy work when she arrested someone. True, she rarely had to do that herself, but when she did, no one ever got away. Especially when she had them locked in solid rock waist-down.

Looking at the trapped man pounding the floor, she felt a smirk come to her lips. Yes, he had been a tough adversary, but in the end she had gotten the better of him. She had no idea how he could do what he did, how he could control air, fire and water in the form of ice. He could even transcend to other planes in the world, making himself almost immortal to any kind of attack they could launch at him. And now the station was a mess. As if that wasn't bad enough, today Councilman Tenzin was supposed to return from his brief visit to the south pole. She couldn't abide the visit though, but she supposed she could understand it even though. A family visit was, of course, important. It just sucked that he had left when a talking beast and a warrior of otherworldly character arrived at her station. Still, she had trapped the bastard in the end;

"Got you." She said, feeling the smirk spreading as Sergeant Ozo worked on getting his colleagues freed from the ice. That was another thing. The way he had breathed ice over her men had not been simple waterbending. There had been no fluid motions, no calm exhale of breath. No, the man had simply _shouted_ her men frozen. As difficult as that was to believe, that was nonetheless what had happened, and she had barely avoided it herself.

"Not even close" She was shocked to see the man smile, a grim smile that bore witnessed to the fact that he thought himself yet unbeaten. Before she could even ask him how he was going to escape now, the man inhaled again, the shouted his strange shout. The very air in the room seemed to go completely numb, as if it had been airbended thick. She looked at the man;

"_Mul…Quah-Diiv!"_

His entire body seemed to start glowing with light being emitted from everywhere on him, like a coat of light covering him completely. The air around him seemed to jump around itself with electricity and violence, strength and rage. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she took back up the fighting stance.

…

Power

He could feel it course through him as the souls of countless dragons went to his aid, imbuing him with inhuman powers. He could feel the skin on his arms strain as the power of the _Diiv_, the Wyrms, filled them. He could feel the heat from fire blowing out his nostrils as he exhaled, small plumes of steam rising in front of his eyes. His pupils became dilated, then thin slits as the dragons took over a small portion of his body.

Rage

It was what filled his mind as he looked at the woman in front of him, looked at how her smirk became a grimace of wonder and confusion over his transformation. The skin on his body hardened and became like studded leather, impervious to whatever she could throw at him at this point. His bones thickened and became as steel, letting him survive great falls and injuries at will. It was, in all honesty, the most powerful version of the Thu'um known to both Dovah and man. He could feel the lust, the _need_, to bury the offending woman under a mound of her own bones, to set her face on fire and force-feed it to her. To snap each and every bone in her body and use the bone meal as flour. He would then feed the rest to Odahviing.

With a new fist pummeling down, he cracked the solid rock itself, then raised his other fist and pounded down as well, causing the surface of the stone to liquefy under the extreme heat and force it was subjected to. His fists caught fire as he focused his energy on the ground, making it appear that pillars of flame erupted from the ground with seconds between them. He kept hammering away at the ground, completely ignoring the baffled Lin Beifong looking on from an increasing distance as she slowly backed away.

With a final pummel, he split the floor in two where it had swallowed him halfway up, causing the rock to divide and spread. Gravel and pebbles flew to all sides as the rock was obliterated under the relentless barrage of violence. With a smirk caused by grim and dark satisfaction, Thor drew himself up from the hole he had created. The room he stood in was still a mess, and the guards were still frozen except for one halfway through being freed. That was not going to happen now. Thor was _beyond _pissed.

"_Yol-tor-shull!"_ He bellowed, facing down the group of guards as he shouted. The flames left his mouth in a blizzard of fire and death, blazing towards the guards. Of all of them, only the free guard managed to jump out of the way as the flames reached their goal. As the fire hit, skin was burned and ice turned boiling. The shrieks and screams of pain and agony echoed throughout the room. He ignited both his hands with renewed fire as two more guards came storming out from a door. They both seemed completely taken aback by the scene that met them.

Thor didn't give them the chance to attack though. He had already given his enemies plenty of chances to surrender. Now was the time for retribution, even if he himself would have to deal with Alduin alone. Of course he knew that it was the rage of slain dragons that burned though him, but he paid it no heed. Just as a man might know he was drunk yet decided to carry on, Thor carried on fighting. As he watched the burned guards writhe on the ground, screaming in agony, he gathered up enough energy in his palms to send a fireball at his foes. He watched the fire build up even as a large slab of rock hit him square in the chest. Had he been in his normal state, that alone would likely have maimed, if not killed him. Instead it sent him sliding across the floor a few meters, his feet never leaving the ground as the pain shook his body.

Then, instead of sending the two newly arrived guards to their deaths, he turned to face down the grey-haired woman who had attempted to tear his body apart with a fatal injury caused by the large rock she had sent his way. He kept the flame in his hands as he stared her down;

"You are good woman, I admit that. But this ends now." He said, keeping a sadistic smirk on his face as he let the fire fly, hurling towards the woman with the speed of an arrow. When the ball of flame impacted, the light was so strong that he could not see what became of the woman until the flames died down, and only the piercing screams of the burned remained. Where the Chief had stood before, only a long and deep scorch mark on the floor remained. Not a foot, not a set of armor, not even a charred skeleton. Shrugging with contempt, Thor turned to face the horrorstruck guards that had yet to be dealt with. He could see it in their eyes, the fear for their lives, fear of the mythical. Fear of him.

He smirked, a smile cruel enough to wither Alduin himself as he started striding towards the closest guard, pummeling to pieces the plate-sized slabs of rock and stone hurled at him as his fists moved with the speed of the whirlwind, catching or evading each projectile. The guard closest to him then kicked up a wall of stone before sending it towards him. Thor, using the speed the Dragon Aspects gave him, sidestepped the incoming threat as easily as had it been a cow wandering towards him. He then ran up to the man with frost and ice pouring from his palms as he laughed. This had been the reason he would rather not have used the Dragon's very essence as he had been forced to. The people he loved were disturbed by the way he behaved in his current state. For the first time, Thor felt glad that Mjoll wasn't there at the moment.

As he reached the terror-struck guard who had attempted to save his colleagues, now writhing on the floor in pain or simply lying still, Thor struck the man with both palms, ice transferring itself onto the man as he screamed in agony and horror. Large frostburns started covering his skin as the ice spread across him. His screams were silenced when Thor placed a palm over his face and iced him over, willing the frost to coat the man like the Thu'um of frost would have. As the ice finally covered the man entirely, the flailing of arms stopped, leaving Thor with a frozen man whose left hand was firmly gripping around the Imperial's more muscular arm. Thor then looked upon the two remaining guards, not daring to fire at him for fear of hitting and killing their colleague. He snorted, pressing the frozen form away from him as he kicked the now unconscious man through the air. One of the guards didn't get out of the way in time and was slammed into by the frozen body of his colleague, leaving just one man left standing.

Thor then heard the sound of stone cracking open behind him and turned. He was glad that he had not been disappointed. Before him stood the sweaty form of Beifong, panting hard despite Thor narrowly had dropped no sweat.

"Let them go, you FREAK!" She shouted, then sent a massive landslide his way. Nodding in quiet accept, Thor ran forward and _jumped over_ the miniature earthquake wreaking havoc on the floor as it headed towards and underneath his body, now soaring through the air towards her.

He impacted on the ground right in front of her and used his momentum to slam into her with the force of a rampaging mammoth. His shoulder connected with her upper chest and sent the woman tumbling across the room. Thor followed her in a half run, half jog as she hit the wall. Seeing him close in, she pummeled the ground, sending shockwaves through the ground that abided by her will. A small sinkhole appeared where Thor planted his foot, trapping him before using his own momentum to tumble him forward. He impacted on the ground three meters in front of her, his nose breaking as his face slid across the floor. He could feel his powers seep from his body at a disturbingly fast rate. He knew the aspects had a time limit, but he had felt confident that he could finish the opponents before that.

As he coughed up the air compressed in his lungs, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower jaw as a slab of rock shot out from the ground. His head was hoisted off the ground as additional holes appeared in the ground, trapping both his feet and hands before he could make a move. He suddenly found himself unable to move, forced to stare into the unforgiving eyes of the grey haired wraith. His eyes widened as a pair of sharp cable-endings shot from both her wrists. It was painfully obvious that she intended to utilize them as weapons. He could have sworn they also glinted and shone in the sun coming in through the cracks in the walls and the windows up top.

A dark scowl decorated her face as she stood above him, hands curled into fists as a fire raged in her eyes. He would have admired her if it wasn't because the whole scene reminded him of Helgen. Now he only needed Alduin to drop by and make it rain fire.

"Well… this is not my definition of good…" He mumbled, feeling the stone pressed against his jaw making it difficult to speak. Okay, so not Alduin, but Odahviing would be nice about now. He watched with grim anticipation as Beifong pulled up her wrist-knifes, preparing to stab him somewhere it would kill even him. As it was, he couldn't even Shout if he wanted to, seeing as the stone prevented all but the meekest form of speech. He could not move his hands either, seeing as they were locked beneath stone. Lightning would do nothing, and the flames would eventually heat up the stones enough to burn his hands. He could have broken the stone with cold, but in the time he would have done so, Beifong would have turned his head into target practice.

"I don't know just what the hell you are, or what sort of bending this is, but I'm not allowing you to be a threat to Republic City. I'm ending you right here and-" Beifong was cut off as an armored shape slammed into her side. Banded armor weighing enough to force down an Ork impacted on her form again and again, furious red-blond hair dancing around the face of the raging Nord woman as she intervened in her husband's execution.

Mjoll was filled with anger, the likes of which she had not felt since the discovery of who had killed Aerin. She had just never felt the need to pummel someone into Oblivion as she did now. To Thor, she looked like Meridia herself as she would venture forth to destroy the undead.

To Mjoll, it was simply beating up the bitch who had been about to kill her husband.

Using her left hand, she grabbed a hold of the woman with the strange gauntlet. She was about to slam her again as the gauntlet suddenly fired off a burst of electricity, shocking both women but causing only one to scream in agony as the volts went through her armor and into her body. Surprised and shocked at the power she had just unleashed, Mjoll let go of the other woman and jumped backwards, eyes fastened on the device on her hand. No glove or gauntlet she had ever used had done such a thing. In front of her, the armored woman collapsed on the floor. Mjoll hardly paid it any heed though, starring as she was at the gauntlet. She was snapped from her thoughts by the man held hostage by rocks.

"Mjoll! I really do suspect you of trying to steal the fame at times. Still, I wasn't looking forward to a new set of scars on the inside of my skull." Thor called, chuckling in relief as he watched his wife walk back to him, eyes still wide in wonder as she looked at his 'cage'.

"How on Nirn did you get like that? I've never seen this kind of magic. Nor this." She paused, looking at her gauntlet again. She then looked back at him before she kicked the rock into submission with her heavy boots and powerful legs. It cracked, letting Thor's head and chest fall to the ground in an awkward angle, due to his hands and legs not being able to follow up with the movement.

"Ow…" He muttered, feeling blood starting to trickle from his broken nose. He would have been fine if he hadn't just slammed his face towards the ground a second time. He then felt a pair of strong hands grip his shoulders to help him up. Facing his wife, he could see the sweat roll down her cheeks as she panted hard, straining herself as she heaved and pulled in his arms. It was no good though. If she tried kicking the stone to pieces, she would just crush his hands as well.

"Well this isn't good… and why are you dressed like one of the guards?" She asked, scratching her cheek as she pondered the problem. She had gotten him out of pinches before, true, but back then his hands hadn't been swallowed by the ground.

From his place on the ground, Thor just shrugged;

"Had to wear something. Unlike you I didn't get to keep my gear on. Woke up in a bed surrounded by guards and healers… but that can wait, I think. First we need to get out of here, and then I have something of a plan." He mused, straining his muscles to break the rock, but nothing happened.

"Trouble?" Mjoll asked him with a nervous look to her eyes. He knew that look. She had given him something similar once when he had been in a literal fist-fight with a Dwemer Centurion. Of course, he had the Thu'um to help him there, but all the same her concern warmed him.

"Hmm… no, I just need to go back to ghost-look again. Was hoping not to, it creeps me out a little, and I might just fall though the ground." He muttered, looking at his arms as they disappeared into the floor, not room to even move a finger underneath.

"You might think about doing it then… I think reinforcements are coming and…" Mjoll interrupted herself as she finally realized the state of the room. Walls were cracked and the floor was torn up. Guards with and without burns laid scattered around the room, a few still groaning in pain as they clutched their injuries; "You really went all out in here… " She muttered, sounding half amused, half concerned. It was clear that Thor had been forced to go beyond simply knocking people out, as the charred left side of a man writhing in silent agony bore witness to.

"Well… I encountered some worthy opponents who beat the soil out of me at points. That woman over there for one, she almost beat me senseless with a rock… Alright, stand back a little." He said, nodding for Mjoll to get away from him as he breathed in and out a few times. His throat was sore from the use of the Thu'um so many times in such a short period of time.

"Right… I'll see if I can't find you some clothes then. If you walk around in armor, people might start to take you for a guard." Thor raised an eyebrow.

"And that would be bad because?" He furrowed his brows as Mjoll rubbed hers.

"Because the moment you opened your handsome mouth, they would hear the accent and give you away. I actually listened to the guards outside of my cell. If anything, they sound more like someone who _stayed_ in Cyrondil. Your accent is long gone dear." She said, starting towards the closest locker that hadn't been trashed by a slab of stone.

Thor was left to his own devices, more or less, as he breathed in again. He willed the void of the Oblivion to come to him;

"_Feim-Zii-Gron"_ He whispered, allowing his flesh to become as air. Almost instantly he started sinking deeper into the ground before he ungraciously flailed his arms above the ground and made them connect with the hard surface. He then swung up his feet as well, demanding the void to release him again.

His flesh became solid again, and Thor knelt on the floor. Panting hard, he wiped the sweat from his face as he tried his limps. Sore, they were, but luckily nothing was broken. Thanking the Divines for small mercies, he stood once more, looking around as he took in the amount of havoc he had created and wrought on the room and the men in it.

"Mara… There's a reason I don't like using _that_ Shout…" He muttered, the feelings of rage that the Dragon Aspect had given him long gone. Instead, he was at relative peace, knowing right from wrong again. He looked at the broken bodies of the guards, most of them still breathing… most of them.

His train of thought was interrupted at its station as Mjoll tossed a bundle of clothes at him. Behind her Thor could see a guard stripped of his armor, lying unconscious on the ground. Looking at the clothes, he then looked for a place to change, as ridiculous as it sounded. Nevertheless, he had never been one to just strip in a wide-open space. Old customs from Cyrondil died hard.

"Come on Thor, out of the armor. Not like I have not seen you once… or ten times… or twenty… or-"

"Yes, I get the point Love… just… give me a minute." He muttered. Feeling weak heat rush to his cheeks, Thor started undoing his makeshift armor piece by piece. It was a shame though, the design could have been used to make his own armor more comfortable. As he shook his feet free of the last boot, the clatter of armor and men started filling one of the corridors in the end of the room, signaling that more men had arrived.

"Take your time Thor. I need some exercise anyway." Mjoll said with a smile before she turned to face the corridor from where the men would be coming from. A small smirk spread to her lips as she watched the outlay of the long corridor. This would not even be fun, if she fought for competition.

"Almost ready!" Thor called from behind her. Mjoll just kept her gaze at the long corridor, doing her breathing exercises. She did not have the inborn talent for the Thu'um, so for her the exercises were a necessary action. Then the first men started appearing at the other end of the corridor, all clad in polished metal armor. Mjoll stood a bit to the side, as she had seen how their cables worked up close.

"There, I'm done." Thor called from behind her. Mjoll gave him a brief look, then spun around as she suddenly felt one of the cables go past her head. Feeling angered by the interruption, she stared down the oncoming men. They seemed sure she would be an easy one, but so had so many others. She had proven them all wrong in the end;

"_FUS-ROH-DAAH!"_ Her jaw rattled slightly as the most powerful Shout she could muster left her mouth. The guards, to their dubious credit, didn't flinch or flee as she slammed the Thu'um against them. Although, one of the reasons they didn't flee was because _fleeing_ implied a wish to do so. Flying through the air though, that didn't imply anything but raw power smashing against row upon row of armored men. They were sent flying backwards like leafs in a storm, lifted off their feet as if they weighed nothing at all. Their screams of panic were all muffled by the tremendous noise caused by the Unrelenting Force. Seeing how the men remained where they fell, Mjoll turned to her husband with a satisfied smirk, only to find him hoisting a nearly unconscious guard to his eyelevel.

"Thor?" She called, unsure as to what he was doing. Surely he had had violence enough. Not that she had, but he was usually the more calm of the two.

"Thank you for your help good sir." Thor said, the dropped the guard down un-ceremonially, letting the man lie where he fell. Thor then gave her a smile a bit too bright for someone who almost just died a few minutes earlier.

"What was that about?" She asked, eying the unconscious guard on the floor. Thor just gestured for her to follow;

"Just asked where our stuff is. You coming?" He asked, walking towards a door in the other side of the room. Mjoll had to note that brown and green fit him well, just as the small red sash over his shoulders did. He looked… stylish, for a lack of better words.

"Sure, I'd like to have my axe back anyway." She said, following him through the door. They stepped back outside again ten minutes later, Mjoll carrying an extra of the lightning-gloves with her, Thor just heaving his backpack over his shoulder, as well as both of them having retrieved their purses from a closed box made from iron and imbedded in the wall. Mjoll gazed warily around the room, looking almost sad to see it in this state of chaos and disrepair. Thor, sensing her disappointment, placed a hand on her shoulder;

"Let's get out of here, shall we?" He said, gesturing for a large set of double doors. As the two of them headed for the doors, they were not aware of the events taking place only a few dozen meters below them.

…

With a heave, mighty enough to tear a mammoth apart, Odahviing pulled and tore at the chains holding him in place. He had long since given up the hope that the woman of steel would return. Instead he was no set in his goal to break free on his own. If the Dragonborn found him chained, he would never get rid of the shame.

"By my Father! They are despicably good at crafting the chains of others…" He sneered, clawing at the wall that held the chains. It was clear that the very metal could not be melted or torn apart, so instead he went for the anchoring of the humiliating locks.

He spewed fire at the place where the metal was inserted into the wall. What he needed was to, if not melt the chains, then make the surface of it hot enough that he could slide the chains out of the wall and then escape. As cowardly as the word 'escape' sounded, it remained his sole possibility.

"_Yol-Tor-Shull!" _Fire as warm as the surface of the sun sprung forth from his jaws. The metallic surface of the chains started to melt as the stones were baked in fire. He pulled the chain again.

"_Yol-Tor-Shull!"_ He bellowed, and fire followed his wish. As the metal was heated once more, he tore at the locks and cuffs keeping him restrained to the wall. This time it felt like it was coming lose. Feeling satisfaction swell in his blood, Odahviing breathed flame again, repeating the actions. He tore at the chain once more, feeling it definitely become looser. He then breathed fire again.

"But not good enough… for a Dovah." He roared, and with that he tore the chains from the walls, feeling the, to him, light tugging of the heavy bars and chains meant to keep him locked up. Smirking grimly the best he could, Odahviing crawled at the door in the other end of the room, ignoring the panicked screams of the newly entered guard. He was a nuisance, but the time it would take to kill him could be better spent.

The mighty Dovah eyed the door, realizing that it was done from metal not as resistant to fire and force as the chains had been. He bared his teeth at the prospect of showing these humans just why it was unwise urinating on a Dovah.

"_Yol-Tor-Shull!"_

"_Fus-Roh-Dah!"_

The combination of the unbelievable heat, followed by force that could knock down towers and walls, proved to be too much to the gate, and at first it strained, the molten metal starting to run down the burning wood it was plated over. Odahviing did a satisfied roll with his great head before he smashed it against the large door.

And the door swung open.


	6. Nature of the Beast

**My chapters are getting longer, and you know what thát means! The story escalates!**

**Damn, this whole chapter took me about three days to write, and the second half really was a pain to write. Not in the bad way, but I doubt I have ever, EVER used the net thát much for research as I did here.**

**Anyway, we have seen how Thor and Mjoll reacted after they got out of their cells. Time to check up on our all's favorite Dovah.**

**I will say it here and now: I have gotten more than twenty reviews for the past four chapters, so in other words: this story will go on to the end, and many might already be able to guess what Book II - Spirits, will be about. Hint: Not what will happen in the actual show XD**

**I am also introducing a new POV in this chaptet, so be ready for a very special person :)**

**Anyway, here is chapter six.**

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Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

Nature of the Beast

The free air was a bliss compared to being held in a dungeon like a trapped animal. Of course, the wide space of the skies was always bliss, a peaceful and serene reminder that _he_ was above other things. To Odahviing, the skies meant freedom and joy, as well as an instrument for his rage and hunger. Having been caged for hours, maybe even days, the great Dovah felt the lust for, no the _need_ for extinguishing life and feeding himself. It was part of his very being, needing enormous amounts of food in order to sustain himself efficiently. Of course, Thor might view it as counter-productive if he started devouring the livestock of the indigenous population. There was also the matter of getting some payback for his capture. It was merely sour that he would be prohibited from slaughtering the locals in scores.

Still, a Dovah could always come up with a plan.

Which was why several streets around the city suddenly found themselves literally on fire as a huge animal swooped down over them and opened up his jaws, bright and searing flames pouring out. Sato-mobiles and other vehicles were turned over as Odahviing swooped down over them, his claws gripping the metallic roofs of the strange carriers of humans and hurling them down the streets of perfect stone. As the cries of fear and confusion reached his ears, the Dovah smirked, looking down on the chaos he had sowed upon the city. While it was not a bloodbath as he would have liked, it served to show a fraction of the power he held, as well as warn off any incursions on his freedom.

The Dragon then swooped down towards street again, claws gripping onto one of the horse-less carriages before slamming it into the side of a bigger carriage. The sound of breaking and twisting metal reached him as he took off from the street again. Twisting his jaws into a smile, he ascended again, setting off for the skies. From where he was, the Dovah could see the city, if not a megacity, spread out as far as the eye went, only ending at the sea where a grand statue of a young man with a long staff stood, guarding the entrance to the city. Next to the statue, a smaller island was located with exotic buildings covering it. the roofs ended in slightly curled tips, and the overall architecture looked more fragile than the buildings of Cyrondil. In the air with him, he could see multiple of the air-born vessels, only smaller and of different colors.

A loud hum in the air alerted him to a threat of different proportions. As he made it above the line of buildings, Odahviing spotted two of the metallic air-vessels in the air before him. Both of them were headed in his direction, although one of them seemed to carry a prisoner of its own. The Dovah widened his eyes a little as he saw it was a human sitting on some kind of big wolf or dog. It seemed almost appropriate that they needed the cables to take _him_ down, but to use it to catch a mere human? That made no sense to him. Still, in the end the bound human made no difference to him, and he instead settled on taking down the airships as they passed over the buildings.

He was soon greeted with the sight of metallic rope shooting from the vessels towards him. He banked hard to the left before ascending to the sky. As soon as he got above the line of fire from the vessels, he smirked. He knew that it was now he that was the bigger predator in the skies, and he loved it. His vision, being superior to that of any creature on or above the land, noticed the look of utter surprise and confusion on the face of the human hanging in the air under the other vessel. That was when he discovered it to be a woman, more specifically a young girl. She could be no more than twenty winters, maybe less.

Shrugging off the intrigue of the new human, Odahviing settled down on the top of the large flying craft, digging his claws into the relatively thin and fragile metal that covered the hull. Now the roles were switched;

"_Yol-Tor-Shul!"_ He opened his maws directly against the hull beneath him and allowed the fire to stream out. The hull, as an opposite to the chains used on him earlier, melted away at the heat. He suddenly witnessed fire of enormous proportions erupt from the inner of the hollow form he stood on. The fire grew such in intensity that Odahviing was forced to take off, if not he would have been roasted by the ever-consuming fire that spilled like liquid from the vessel. He flapped his wings and hovered in the air, witnessing as the burning craft started listing against the other one. The two collided, fire starting to erupt from both of them in a massive gust of flames.

Then, he saw the woman and her bear-like dog still hanging under the vessels as fire started raining down over them both. She gave off a sharp smell of fear and frustration, as well as… some strange kind of energy. It resembled nothing he had felt before, even if it had similarities to the guardsmen from earlier. His curiosity, if not sense of mercy, was woken at the feeling, and instead of flying on towards his next rampage, he muttered a small curse for the destruction he himself had wrought before diving towards the girl, still chained in the same manner as he was. If he had to give credit to the humans, then it should be that their vessels took a long time to crash from the skies.

The girl, whose real identity and importance he of course didn't know of, was a sixteen-year old Water Tribe girl named Korra. Currently she was still deep in shock and confusion after a flying, firebreathing beast had attacked the airships she was being ferried to the station by. Her Polar-Bear dog, a big softie by the name of Naga, turned her worried and soon-to-be terrified eyes towards the skies. Neither of the two had ever seen a creature like that before, and for the moment they hung under the belly of a burning airship, wrapped up in chains too thick for her to break with fire, and metalbending she had never learned.

"Oh Spirits, Tenzin's gonna kill me…" She groaned, struggling to free herself from the bindings, despite it being obvious that she could not break them. Korra then started trashing wildly in her restraints, eliciting worried yaps from Naga as the polar bear-dog looked at her owner with concern. Finally, Korra gave up, instead just sagging in her seat as she sighed;

"I know girl… we definitely have been in better spots than this… and look, now we even have an audience." She muttered, looking at the street at least fifty meters below where cars stopped and people stood in crowds to watch her fall of fly. Too bad she had never learned Airbending either.

Then, the sound of heavy leathery wings fighting air itself as they closed in. Naga gave a terrified yelp at the oncoming sound, and Korra turned just in time to see the same beast from earlier fly towards her with maws open;

"Oh crap!" She yelled, not being able to close her eyes in sheer startle. Then, instead of swallowing her and Naga whole, the beast bit at the chains, powerful jaws rattling against the steel. It quickly gave up, seeing as the steel was too thick to bite through. Then, just when Korra thought it would fly away, the best instead angled itself so that it's face was directly in front of hers. It looked like it was about to then snap her with its massive jaws, but instead it then turned to face the chains again with opened jaws;

"_Yol-Tor!" _She couldn't understand if she had just heard a sentence from its mouth, or if it was simply that way it sounded when it roared. In any case, regardless of which was true, the beast then sprayed bright and crimson fire at the chains, causing them to wither and melt, droplets of molten iron falling towards the streets below. Was it freeing her? She would have asked, and later would insist that she had, but currently Korra was simply dumbstruck with fear and awe at the powers she witnessed unfolding in front of her. A beast that really _did_ spew fire? It just looked nothing like the dragons of old, on the drawings she had been shown. And yet, it spewed fire, and it was airborne. It had to be just that: A dragon.

Before she could fully consider the repercussions of the realization, the chains started breaking, one by one. She could feel the tremors and the tug in Naga's weight with each single broken chain. Then, as the final chains were about to snap, the dragon, which it had to be, or she was a Turtle-duck named Lee, ceased the fire and instead took the final pair of chains between its jaws as they snapped from the rest of the airship. Instead of the long fall towards injury or even death though, she felt a sharp tug in the opposite direction, and saw with disbelieving eyes how the dragon lifted her and Naga from the empty air, and onto the roof of the closest building. There, it sat them both down on the roof, Naga tumbling to her feet while Korra still had chains clinging to her body. As Naga laid down, Korra carefully rolled off, hitting the ground with her feet first. She then felt Naga tear the chains away from her body, allowing her to move freely again. At that point, the beast landed in front of them, not even five meters away. It might have saved them from falling to their deaths, but Korra was still wary of the dragon, especially since it had been the original reason they had needed rescue at all.

For a long moment, the Dragon simply observed her, one eye turned to examine her with its head turned so that only one side of the face, if one could call it that, was visible. Then, the Dragon closed in on her. Korra, not daring to move for fear of the creature taking it as an attack and promptly eat her, stood her ground, breath escalating in pace.

"Hmmm… I sense… energy, within you, child of men… Energy different than that of your fellows. Do not fear me, I mean you no harm. Now, who are you child? Because I, am Odahviing, second born to Akatosh and right hand of the Dovahkiin." Korra felt ready to bend every single existent and non-existent element if it would get her away from the _talking_ Dragon. However, that fear lasted for but a moment. She faced the fact that she had not yet been eaten or attacked by the creature, and therefore it wasn't hostile. Also, the fact that it could speak must mean that it was intelligent enough to reason with. She therefore swallowed her nervousness and replied.

"I am Korra of the Southern Water Tribes. The energy you sense in me? I think that's because I'm the Avatar, and… well, I'm not really sure on how to progress from here…So… you are not going to eat me, I take it? " She said, for the first time taking in the details of the creature, the Dragon, as it was. He, because he definitely didn't sound female, was red. It was almost the color of blood, but still not all there. He was big, easily bigger than Tenzin's bison, and he had a pair of large leathery wings in place of arms. His head was covered in spikes made from bones and scales, and his eyes were fist-sized and black as obsidian. All in all, he looked like the perfect villain for a book. The Dragon, Odahviing, rustled his head a bit, like a dog shaking of water.

"Hmm…. Hmm… no child, I am what you humans call a _Dovah_, a Dragon. You say you are 'avatar'. What is that, I wonder? You bear power equal to that of my master, yet I do not sense the spirits of the soul of the Dovah in you. You are… intriguing." Odahviing said, blinking with his big eyes as he looked Korra all over. To say that having a giant fire-breathing lizard examine you was uncomfortable, would be like saying Korra had mild anger management-issues. An understatement. Still, she bit back her anxiousness, trying to avoid letting it show just how much the situation freaked her out. The thing, the Dragon before her could speak, and it _was speaking_ to her. '_Spiritual side' my ass… this is way more freaky than what those old gimps could think of…_ Korra thought, shuffling as she stood.

Then, she got an idea. Granted, conceived at the moment of distress, it was not the best she had ever come up with, but it was still an idea that just might work out in her favor, _if_ she could persuade the dragon to help her out. Then she snapped back to reality, forced to ponder over just how to explain what she was to a creature that should know even better than her what the Avatar was.

"You… what do you mean, 'what is the Avatar'? Your kind was Roku's animal guide, how can you now know what the Avatar is?" She asked in confusion. Confusion, at that point, was a good sign. It mean she wasn't scared out of her wits anymore, like Naga. The Polar bear dog had simply resigned, currently lying on the ground in a gesture of surrender. What was funny was how her dog could face down a Shark-Whale and growl, but in front of this dragon, she simply cowered. Still, the young Avatar could understand why. Korra might not have been the most spiritual Avatar ever… actually there was a good chance she was the _least_ spiritual Avatar ever to have walked the Earth.

For a long moment, the Dragon did not respond, instead simply observing her as hot air blew from its nostrils in thin plumes of steam and smoke. The way it blinked sideways was probably what unnerved her the most.

"Hmm… Roku, you say? Hmm… hmm… interesting… I think… I wonder if there would be a… hmm… connection, between those two… yet, humor me human child Korra. Tell me, what is the 'Avatar'? I am curious of the nature of the power in you, it is not the _Suleyk mas rii Dovah…_The power of the Dragon essence. Tell me… what do I not understand about you child, what enigma do you encompass?" The Dragon said, his voice sounding like a mix between a raging Seal-Bear and a grinding machine.

Not unpleasant, but more like overpowering than it was comfortable to listen to. And then there were the way he spoke in words she had no way of understanding, words he then translated as if he was used to humans not understanding him. That, in turn, would have to imply that humans spoke with him often. Maybe he wasn't a real dragon, but instead a manifested spirit? Korra supposed it would make a lot more sense, given the fact that he, A) looked almost nothing like the dragons she had seen on pictures, and B) He spoke human language, aside from the weird words he sometimes slipped in. Still, spirit or not, Korra was on edge by the predatory grin, if it could be called a grin, on his face. Despite her not knowing just what she was dealing with, Korra knew one thing: This creature, or dragon, was a killer of mythical dimensions. It had also been painfully obvious by the way he simply took down two airships with no care for the officers inside.

In a way, she supposed it was a fitting thing to happen the same day she was arrested for beating up thugs. _Sure Korra, help the watchmaker. It's not like the police is going to arrest you for it, and then a freakin' _beast_ is gonna take down the airships before it frees and then talks to you._ _Spirits, I should have just gone straight to the Island instead of getting some food._ She couldn't help, despite the situation, a smile from emerging on her face. She quickly forced it away from her face again, thinking that the spirit or Dragon, she really couldn't decide, might be insulted and cut her carrier as the Avatar short by eating her. Still, the questions left her puzzled. Maybe it was a test, to see if she knew herself as well as she was supposed to. Maybe it was to judge her value as the Avatar from a spirit's point of view. Master Orji had been _soo_ adamant that she had no connection to her spiritual side, but if this really was a manifested spirit, then she was off to a good start.

On the other hand, it could be that the creature really had no clue as to what the Avatar was.

"Well… ehm… Geez, hadn't expected to be tried in thát… well, I a girl, as you can see and… wait, let me just go back a few steps." She said, kicking herself mentally for messing up her start with the mythical being; "I, am Avatar Korra. I am the bridge between the two worlds, the human and the Spiritual one. I am also the only human capable of bending all four elements, Water, Earth, Fire and Air. Currently I have the first three down, but Airbending is harder for me to master, or even use at all. As for the 'power' in me? Well, the Avatar is a long, powerful line of humans from each of the four nations. Each time an Avatar dies, he or she is added to the line of Avatars available for the next Avatar to draw upon for wisdom and strength. I can, although I have never done it, use a special state called 'the Avatar-state' if I'm really in the cra- if I am in great distress. It allows me to combine all the power of all previous Avatars, thus making me the most powerful human alive. It is also my duty to keep balance in the world, and I have chosen to start doing that by helping Councilman Tenzin restore order to Republic City… does that suffice as an answer?" She asked, her hands locked behind her back in the most respectful way she could come up with.

She knew each nation had their own traditions and customs for greeting spirits, but she had never cared for the wide-gesturing flailing of the Water Tribes. Instead, she copied how the Earth Kingdom greeted Spirits. A respectful bow followed by hands clasped behind one's back as if attending a military speech.

She now stood, still as stone, as she watched the Dovah for reactions. For a long moment, the being simply stared at her, blinking with regular intervals. She had no idea if he had even heard her, or if his mind was examining her answer for mistakes and failures that would mark her insufficient as Avatar. Of course, while it would be a bit early to deem her insufficient, she knew Aang had beaten the entire Fire Nation at the age of Thirteen. She had yet to beat up anyone but her teachers and a few guards before they had caught her.

"Hmmm… hmmm…Earth, Air, Water and Fire? Bend and control? Possibilities are many… You say the power of all Avatar's are within you? Hmm… maybe I should introduce myself then,_ Kaal_ of your world. I am Odahviing, second hand of the Dovahkiin. Be in awe of our joined presence in your world." He said. Korra sighed, not sure how to tell him, or even _if_ to mention it. Still, she felt she had to.

"You ehm… already introduced yourself… _Odaving_." She said, ready to duck if he decided to be insulted by her statement. Instead, she heard a deep rumbling sound, reminding her most of an old man's laughter coupled with a roaring Bison.

"Yes… I suppose I did, Korra. Hmm… I think… I still want something answered. Why were you trapped by those _Mey Joor_? Foolish mortals? If I understand you, you are the _Kaal_, the Champion of this realm. Your supposed power alone should make them cower under the threat of your rage." He said, his voice neither accusing nor sympathetic to her situation. It was just… curious, in sound. Still, out of everything else that had transpired that day, Korra decided that thát was the most normal question she had gotten all day. Well, maybe the 'Do you have any money?' was more normal, but it was relative to the case if she was talking to a sour woman, or a being from myths and legends, maybe even a spirit. Actually, no that she thought about it, a spirit asking why she had been arrested was the _weirdest _thing she had yet to try.

Still, the question made her embarrassed due to the fact that explaining how she had _broken the law_, would make her less worthy of his respect. And then there was the _Dovahkiin_ he mentioned. Was that a thing or a person, maybe a title or a name? Maybe it was a nation or a country somewhere south, or maybe a new religion? She truthfully had no clue. She rubbed her neck in embarrassment, not knowing to explain that she had been arrested for _vandalism_.

"Well… there was this clockmaker, and then he was being extorted by three thugs that I then beat the crap- that I then defeated. When they tried to escape, I might have… damaged the street as well as a nearby store. The police then took me in on the grounds that I caused more damage than the thugs. Even if that's true, then I just wanted to help. So I smashed a shop to catch the bad guys, I apologized already! And then _wham_, they chased me all over town before the airship caught me. That I'm the Avatar doesn't matter to the police if I do something illegal." Korra said, shuffling her feet. She knew she might have caused serious property damage, but she had only wanted to help. That it had backfired epically was not in the plans.

"Arrested despite being the Kaal? Hmm hmmm hmm… sounds familiar to me. I do not judge you, Korra of the southern tribes of water. I believe that you shall have a great role to play in the events to transpire. Not just for this city, but for the entire world. You say you wanted to 'start by bringing order', hmm? I think you may soon be facing down… challenges, far beyond what you can even think of to fear." He said, his voice becoming more monotone and serious. Korra felt her heart-rate go up a few notches;

"What? What challenges? Is it because of the unrest in the city?" She asked. She had seen and heard of the Equalists, the non-benders opposing the benders. She knew it was a stupid-ass movement, since bending was the coolest thing ever, but for some reason the Equalists didn't agree. She guessed jealousy, but it could be anything, she guessed.

"That… is for someone else to say. My master and his companion are here in the city as well. They are heralds of the World-Eater. They are the ones who will lead the fight against _Krent Mundus_, the breaking of the Universe, the arrival of the World-Eater." Korra, despite feeling a deep chill running down her spine, could pick up the sound of regret in Odahviing's voice. How she could even discern his feelings was a mystery yet to her. Swallowing the lump that had built up in her throat, she decided to ask.

"Who is your master then? Where is he? What is the world eater? How can it or he _break _the universe?" Korra felt each second the Dragon didn't respond as time wasted, in case the world eater would come before she could be ready. That was when it hit her: Tenzin needed to be told. Hell, he needed to meet Odahviing and know _everything_. She was the Avatar, but she had no idea what to do next. No idea of how to handle the situation. But she knew who would know what to do, and that someone was bald and had a beard longer than most women's hair. Also he had an arrow on his head, making him pretty easy to spot in a crowd.

"Hmm… My master is the man with the soul of a Dovah. He is called the Dragonborn by all of man, and has long been found in times of great peril and strife. The last time a Dovahkiin was found, the battle of Red Mountain had just been lost, and she was found a survivor on the field, wielding the Thu'um as a weapon. My master was found in the time of Alduin's return. He is a man, like you and all of the inhabitants of this place appears to be. By the name of Thor, he will be recognized, and his companion is the Lioness with hair like bronze and fire. I was… separated from them both when we arrived, and now I do not know where they are. If he has been slain or killed when we arrived, then I have failed my task and will give my life when Alduin arrives. There will be no other purpose for me then, than to attempt to honor his vow and call." Now Korra was sure she could hear worry and regret in his voice. Maybe Odahviing's relationship with… Thor? Strange name, but maybe their relationship was like hers and Naga's, or like Avatar Aang and his bison Appa. It was said that animal guides died from sorrow if their charges perished.

"I… don't know what to say. He sounds like something out of stories… then again; I guess you sort of are too… Alduin, what is that?"

"Alduin… he is first-born of Akatosh and heralded as the World-Eater and the Great Devourer. It is his purpose to end the world by devouring all who are, and he feeds of the souls of those already passed. And it is the purpose of the Dragonborn to end him in return." The large head of Odahviing rested on the foremost of his wings now, his gaze resting upon Korra as she contemplated what she was told. Being the Avatar sure as hell brought its challenges. _Was it too easy for a kid to beat the Fire Lord? Alright then, lets just throw in a demonic being with a fetish for global annihilation… If I ever find out who pulls the strings, I'm using them to strangle him!_ Korra seethed, being more than just a little annoyed that she was being dumped on by the Divinities in control.

"Alduin is a spirit then?" She asked. Odahviing just shook his large head, a movement that caused Naga to perk up from her position next to Korra.

"Alduin is as I am: A dragon. Only _he_ is twice my size and many times my power. It is not possible for anyone being to defeat him alone. Only the Dovahkiin can do so, and only with the help of the strongest champions of the realm. To forestall your worries Korra, I am not alleged to Alduin. Once, he was my master. Yet he lost that claim when Thor proved the stronger. If what I know is true, then he will arrive in less than two moon-cycles, what you humans call a month two times around. By that time, the world must be ready or burn as the result." He said, his large reptilian eye gliding over her and Naga as he spoke without opening his mouth. It was unnerving that he mastered arts she found startling, and yet she felt fear from him when he spoke of this Alduin.

"What are we going to do? I'm not ready to face him, I still need to master Airbending and I haven't even got a clue where this 'Thor' is." She exclaimed, feeling dread, a rare emotion to her, fill her mind.

"Hmm… I believe it would be prudent for the leader of your city to be made aware of his coming, but do not tell the populace. Fear and chaos is what Alduin feeds on. A city and a world in fear would make his power seem divine. I, for myself, will seek out my master, or the whereabouts of his body if dead he is indeed. Should that be the case, I will instead join you, Korra Avatar, and stand by you at the coming of Season Unending. If need be, I will then give you my life in return for the demise of Alduin. But for now, seek out the one amongst you most enlightened in the arts and areas of spirits and divinities. I, will seek out my master." He said, getting to a stance that would allow him to take off. Once more, Korra was amazed and awed by his size. He was easily the length of Tenzin's bison, and was probably able to take down any foe who dared to come near. She was just damn glad he hadn't eaten her. Thank Yue for small graces, she supposed.

"Wait, how do I find you?" She called, even as he started unfolding his great wings, easily spanning the width of the roof. And it was a _big_ roof.

"You will not. You will be found when the need arises." He said, legs starting to leave the ground as he spoke. Stomping the roof where she stood, Korra elevated herself up to the eye-level of the Dragon, not satisfied with the answer. If anything, Odahviing seemed surprised by her actions. Whether it was the bending or her gall, she didn't know or care.

"Ostrich-shit! Give me a proper answer Odahviing!" She shouted, trying to force him down with sheer will. The great dragon looked at her for a moment, as if hesitating, then spoke;

"You have fire Korra. If you desire it, I will let you know that I will be watching your progress. Should you need my help, simply call my name from the top of the city." He said, adding a finality to his words.

"But-"

"Goodbye, Korra Avatar. I believe we will meet again." And with that, the enormous dragon flew away. Korra remained on the roof for as long as she could see him in the skies, then began to make her way down via the fire-escape on the side of the building. _Oh man… Tenzin's gonna be pissed when he hears about this…_


	7. A Yuan for your Avatar

**Hello again:)**

**To make a point known, if you want to call it that, it should be recognized that even despite this story consists of shorter chapters, it will not just be fast-paced or with more action than story. Because, well, it's still me ;)**

**This chapter will be what is known as a filler, meaning that no unfortunate officer will get his head chopped off or frozen solid... or burned... or ripped to shreds... or electrocuted... or... I'm just going to stop...**

**Well, anyway, we have rounded the intro and the story is now fully underway. If I have one worry, it is that I'm going to be super depressed over the awesomenes of LoK book 2 when it airs in about twelve days. Seriously, whatever I have planned will be smeared on the wall when Korra steps up to it on a whole 'nother scene.**

**Anyway, let's get to it :D**

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Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

A Yuan for your Avatar

_"When faced with the choice of whether to be eaten by a Platypus-Bear or the Unaki, choose the Unaki. With that you can kill it from the inside, if swallowed whole." - _'Mad' Boa, 'Of the dangers in the Earth Kingdom'

"So... what now?" Mjoll asked, looking around the city. Currently the two of them were standing at the start of a small alley, just a few streets off the guard station. The city, if it wasn't actually the entire continent, was huge and sprawling with life and energy. Next to her, Thor scuffed the odd pants she had found for him, already in the process of putting on his regular clothes. It might be that the new set of clothes were less outstanding, but to the Oblivion with that when it felt like he was wearing that fancy crap they had at the embassy in Skyrim. That was the _only_ time he would ever put on so-called 'fine' clothing, seeing as it fit him as well as a pink dress would have fitted Alduin... or Mjoll for that sake. When he had the robes over his head, he pulled the opening over his head before scratching his neck, feeling a bit uncomfortable with having to change in the middle of an alley. It just seemed that his sense of was being violated over and over the longer he stayed in the city.

"Hmm... First, we find something to eat. I've still got over a thousand septims on me... you?" He asked, feeling for the purse hidden behind his robes. Mjoll, still wearing her armor underneath a now covering piece of clothing, which in essence was what Thor had just discarded, tapped her own thigh;

"Full. I've always got five hundred on me, in case of an emergency. Of course, being on the run from what counted as the law in this place could well be an _emergency_. It could also be a good chance for some exercise, but only if they were discovered.

"Alright then. We find a place to eat, then we eat... and get something to drink, unless you feel like drinking thawed frostbite again." He said, pulling the hood over his face. After a moment's though, he pulled it back down again. He only needed to do that if his face was known in the entire city.

"Hmph, no thanks. It tastes like murky lake-water." Mjoll scoffed, leaning against the wall of the building, her eyes going between Thor and a most unusual creature. It looked like a miniature Saber tooth, but it was all black and had a thick striped tail. It was also sitting on a large brown metallic container that smelled like sewage. She made a mental note of staying clear of such containers.

"Probably is too... anyway, then when we have gotten past that, we find someone named 'the Avatar'. From what I could gather in my... conversations with the guards, that Avatar is the most powerful warrior they have around here. Apparently it's a woman, though I have no idea how she looks or where she is. And then we just... go from there." He shrugged, checking that his Blade-made sword, the Dragonbane was hefted to his side. It was hidden, but within reach so that he, if magic failed, could cut the bad guys to pieces. It was just a shame he had left his hammer at home. Thát thing could really break some bones.

"So... your plan is to eat, then find a girl and... that's it?" Mjoll asked in disbelief, clearly having expected a more intricate plan from her husband.

"Pretty much. Until we know more about her, we shouldn't take too much for granted. Who knows, maybe she's a bitch like Maven, and I'll have to cut her up... as a last resort of course." Mjoll just shook her head.

"Sounds more like a planned juvenile excursion than a plan for the future of all that exist in all worlds." She replied, tapping her knuckles at his head like a mother with a foolish child. Thor, being Thor, had no initial reply to that. Instead he just shrugged again, holding his hands up in a gesture of 'I don't know'.

"How did we ever get married, I'll never understand." She muttered with a slight chuckle, walking out on the strange pathway of raised stone meant for those who walked instead of using the strange carriages. Thor quickly caught up.

"Well, maybe it's because I can make you squeal like a little girl? I'm thát good, you know." He said proudly, giving her a coy smile as they walked along the, unknown to them of course, pavement. The tiles here were more rough and symmetrical, clearly made in a hurry. Still, a waste of stone to anyone who hadn't see what their entire city was made from. That remark also earned him a punch in the shoulder.

"You are also a pervert. I wonder what would happen if the Vigilantes of Stendarr ever caught you when... well, I'm not getting in on that here. Now let's find somewhere to eat, and then we find Odahviing. I'd say making sure your right hand and servant is safe would take priority over some girl." Mjoll scoffed, giving him a smirk before pointing across the street;

"There, people are eating over there. Which means we can eat there too." She said, pointing at what was, again unknown to them, a café. Thor followed her gaze, then slapped his forehead in the manner he always did when he remembered that he had forgotten something important or had messed up in some way. The last time had been in Riften where he had gotten really drunk with a stranger before waking up in the temple of Dibella in Markarth of all places. How he had gotten himself over there was anyone's guess, especially because the fellow he had contested with turned out to be Daedra of sorts. In the end Thor had donated the staff to Arch mage Aren. As odd as it seemed at the time, Aren had used it to deal with some insurrection in the College. Thor, being in Whiterun at the time, had not been told just what had happened... or why the roof of the main hall was overgrown with red ferns.

"Right. But... given the fact that Odahviing is the probably mightiest being to exist here for the next few months, I believe we shouldn't worry about him that much. Heck, he's going to raze this city before he goes down." Thor said, apprehensively looking to the sides as he stood at the edge of the roads. Oddly enough, the carriages seemed to defer to the judgment of a series of lights. When the small box glowed green, the vehicles sped away, the speed faster than any horse could run. But when the light was red as flames, the things stopped moving, standing perfectly still.

Choosing the right moment, he ran across the street, Mjoll close after him. For reasons unknown to the both of them, the still-standing carriages started emitting sounds of trumpets. Also the people in them were making rather rude gestures. Despite all that, they eventually reached the other side, Thor resting his hands on his legs as he panted, shooting glares at the magical contraptions speeding past them back on the road.

"Well... that went well." Mjoll commented, slapping a hand on his back as she stood next to him, looking at the café right in front of them. It looked rather cozy, if a place which's function she had no clue to could be cozy. As Thor stood up, he too looked at the café. And most of the café's outdoor guests looked at them.

"Damn... now I feel like back in Sovngarde... all those people looking at me... strange clothes...I'm hungry. I hope they take Septims." Thor muttered as they moved inside the café, having close to no idea whatsoever about what to do. Luck seemed to turn though, as Thor spotted a counter and a man standing behind it. Thank the Divines things seemed to work the same way all places. Which, in retrospect, was a little scary.

"Welcome to the Dancing Fire Ferret. I'm Lee Hong, owner of this small establishment. what can I get the two of you today?" The man behind the counter said. He sported a small strange hat, a long weird moustache going from his nose to far below his chin in two long beaded tails. Both would have made Cicero look almost sensible in comparison. That made Thor smile, remembering how he had gutted the man in the Sanctuary. _Poor Cicero, does it hurt? Oh poor Cicero, did I just cut off your leg? Oh poor, poor Cicero, here comes the intestines. Look at them poor Cicero, aren't they nice? Why are you screaming Cicero? We are just having fun. You should have seen what I did to Astrid._ Ah yes, that had been fun, in the twisted way he started enjoying violence once using the first word of power that the Dragon Aspect required. Anymore and he might have destroyed Falkreath in the process.

"Ah yes, we are not from around here. I take it you accept gold as payment?" Mjoll asked, pulling him back from disturbing but satisfying memories. For a moment, it seemed the man didn't know how to respond to the question. Seemingly, they did not use gold as payment.

"G...gold? Where on Earth... never mind that. Yes, I do believe we take gold as well. Just... let me check the books. I don't think anyone has used gold since before the Great War." The man mumbled, diving beneath the counter. A moment later he returned with a book thick enough that one could have all the knowledge of Farengar and the Dovah stored in it. Mjoll and Thor shot doubting glances to each other as Lee Hong went over numbers and lines, letters and pages.

After what seemed to be ages, he looked back up, something between a smile and a frown on his face.

"Well... May I have one of your golden pieces for comparison? I need to weigh it against the Yuan, you see." He said, picking up a small scale-weight from under the table. Nodding, Thor picked a Septim from his purse. The sparkling gold caused the man's eyes to widen a little. It was then weighed against what was the currency of the city. It ended up with over a hundred of the peculiar little pieces of cobber with a square hole in the middle.

"How many of those can you exchange?" He asked, considering if simply going over to the new money would make everything more simple. It wasn't as if they could be mugged. Or, someone could _try_, but that would end up with red-splattered walls.

"How... many? Well, I do have a good income, but... no more than twenty at most. I can imagine you can exchange the rest at a goldsmith. There's one down the street, I think."

"That will have to do then. Exchange twenty Septims for two-thousand... Yuans, was it?" Thor said, retrieving the said amount from his purse. He could hear a small chuckle coming from Mjoll. He could understand where it came from. In this city, they were practically superrich. Of course, all came within reason. Aside from the backpack, they had no means of carrying around that type of money.

"I... Right away sir and ma'am. Just... give me a moment to... Kuz! Get up here with the big box. There's exchange to be made!" Lee called. A moment later, a teenager with wild hair emerged from a door in the back of the café, carrying a large chest of intricate and curious details. As Hong opened the chest, both natives to Tamriel could see that it was filled to the brim with orderly lines of coin. Each row consisted of a hundred coins, making the transaction fairly easy to follow, even for Thor. Instead of trying to make all the coins fit in his purse, he simply opened his bag up, and scooped down the two-thousand Yuans as they were placed before him. He then slapped the twenty Septims on the table, making a strange light shine in the owner's eyes.

"Well I'll be... this is the first time I've swapped currency yet... granted, it was part of school, but I never thought I would need it." Hong said, then seemed to shake it off; "Anything else?" He asked with a friendly smile. Thor looked around, and was surprised to find a list of food and drinks hanging on the walls.

"Yes, we would like to buy food. I assume this is such a place?"

"Certainly. My café is stocked to serve both light meals and coffee, as well as regular dinners. We also have tea and sake, as well as a special Ale from the Eastern Earth Kingdom. What would you like?" Thor then scratched his beard, looking over the list. Aside from the words 'tea' and 'meat', none of them made any sense to him.

"We would like a regular meal, but few of the options I recognize. I trust you can give us a good suggestion?" He said, shooting Mjoll a short glance before looking back at Hong. The boy, Kuz he had been called, had already vanished again.

"Ah... I forgot, you are foreigners. Well, the Shig-steak is well renowned, and we serve it with a mild spicy sauce that goes well with both water, Lotus- and Ming. I have also heard that Jasmine goes well to it, but we are out of that brand. For two persons, I would recommend the shared menu. It involves Shig-steak, Lotus tea and a salad grown in the fields outside the city. Everything is guaranteed to be no more than twenty-four hours since harvesting. Does that sound enticing?"

"Hmm... you said water was also an option. I assume that means it is pure?" Thor asked. In Republic city, such a question was definitely odd, but in Tamriel only the rich could afford the intricate processes involved with cleaning the water in sufficient amounts. True to the statement, Hong looked a little confused over the question.

"Pure? Why of course it is pure. It comes from the city's water supply, and I drink it myself each day. It is as pure as it gets while still having water in it."

"If we take the menu with just water, what will it cost us?" Thor asked. Mjoll, for whatever reason, seemed in thought, and did not respond immediately.

"Without extra drinks, and with the menu... fifty Yuans. I will have someone direct you to a table. In here or outside?" Hong said, seemingly quite satisfied with himself that he had just ensured two so rich and interesting customers.

"I think in here would be preferable. Thank you for your friendly help Lee Hong." Mjoll said, a small smile on her face. Thor glanced at her, a little surprised. He would have assumed she would have liked to sit outside, but then again, his only experience with taverns and the like involved passing out at the desk with a bottle of mead in his hand.

"Excellent. If you will just follow Kuz here". He said, gesturing to the suddenly reappeared boy; "I will have your meal ready in a few minutes." He said, the turned around and headed out a door leading to what Thor assumed was the kitchen. He then looked at Mjoll before the both of them followed Kuz to a table set near a window which allowed them a good view over the street outside, as well as cover from any prying eyes. Slowly, Thor was starting to realize, for the umpteenth time, that more often than not, Mjoll was the thinking power behind what they did. As Thor sat down, he stole a glance at Mjoll as she looked out the window. How the sun seemed to play with her skin tone, how her freckles stood out in contrast with her eyes.

After a few minutes, Lee Hong returned with two plates in his hands. As they were placed upon the table, the two newcomers saw that it was a large beef that had been served them, complete with a sauce that smelled of incense and spices. The meet steamed with vapor, and the smell made Thor's mouth water, as well as it caused his stomach to growl. A large glass-made container of water, a jug in fact, was set on the table, filled with water clear as crystal. The two of them started to dig in, Thor testily examining the water before he sipped from the cup made of the same clear glass. He soon found himself to have swallowed most of the can's content.

As Mjoll cut out a chunk of the meat, she watched with hunger as the juice ran from the meat. It had a red tint in the center of the meat, with the rest being a roasted brown. The sauce had a hint of wine to it, while nut was also evident in the smell. With great appetite, she feasted on the meat, the steak soon reduced to a mere bone in the center. For some reason, it seemed to cause mild disgust among the other guests that both she and Thor ate the marrow as well. In cold lands such as Skyrim, letting food go to waste was not an option, and marrow was nutrient. If spiced right, it would also be delicious.

As they finished the meal, Hong came over to their table, a piece of cloth draped over his arm.

"Was the meal to your tastes?" Thor smiled at that, the man in front of them obviously wanting to make a good impression. Had he been disgusted by them consuming the marrow, he didn't let it show.

"Yes, it was delicious. If this is how you cook in this city, I doubt I will ever want to return home." Thor said. That earned him a small kick over the shin under the table.

"We are not here on a pleasure trip Thor." Hong, if anything, seemed very much curious now.

"Sorry for asking, and you probably get this a lot, but where are you from? Certainly not from the West, and ma'am, your hair... I have never seen that color in hair before. Also, and don't take this the wrong way, but your speech is a little strange."

"Ah... yes. I doubt you know of it, but we come from the... island of Tamriel. It's to the North east of here, shrouded in cold and almost constant winter. The men and women there are hardy, and we pride ourselves that, despite not knowing bending as you do, we are capable warriors all." Thor said, leaning sideways back in his chair to rest as he spoke. Hong seemed to pick up on that.

"No bending? None at all? Then how did you ever manage to stay out of the wars? The civil wars? How do your society even function?" He said, seemingly in disbelief. Aside from telling the truth about what Tamriel was, and who _he_ was, Thor found it amusing to tell of Tamriel to the obviously interested man.

"Let us pay first, then I shall demonstrate." Thor said, retrieving the fifty odd coins from his bag. A few moments later, the two from Tamriel stood at the counter, Thor with his hand on the desk, palm upwards. Mjoll was standing to the side, making her discomfort at the situation known with an occasional stare at him for his reckless use of magic, or at least what he intended to do.

"Well then. You see, my home never adopted bending as you did, so imagine my surprise when we arrived here and found people to be able to shift the earth and the water."

"Earth- and waterbending. Perfectly natural for us, but not for you?" Hong asked, looking between the man, the woman and the outstretched palm. Thor shook his head.

"In a sense, it is. But we utilize what we call magica in order to do so. It is a system of energy-carrying veins that allow for us to call upon powers both lesser and grander than bending of all sorts. We all have it, although only a select few choose the training it demands to properly use." He said, igniting his palm with a gentle crackle of electricity. It was enough that Lee could see it, but also small enough that every single other person there wouldn't start running up to see his tricks. Hong's eyes grew wide at the display of electricity arching from Thor's fingertips.

"Amazing... the sub-style of firebending, but in a whole new way. You saying you can all do that?"

"And more too. Remember, this is a played-down version. If I really powered up, I would risk destroying your entire house here. Aside from lightning, we also command respectively Frost..." He said, turning the palm of his hand into a small blizzard of cold. the cool air emitting from his hand was enough to freeze a pot of fluids on the counter solid, something Hong seemed less than pleased with; "...and fire." Thor said, turning the cold air warm by letting small flames lick the skin of his hand. He held it closer to the pot, allowing the heat to melt the liquid again. As he did, a warm and pleasant smell of spices and flowers started coming from the pot.

"Well I'll be damned... fire, lightning and... some sort of waterbending?"

"You see it as it was bending. Remember that this is fueled by magica, not by your own powers. We don't have the powers of say... the Avatar, but we can "bend" fire, lightning and frost with as much power as any bender. However, things such as Earth and water, not to mention air, we have no control over. I suppose that is what equals out the different forces."

"Magica? Never heard of it... we draw our bending from the chi in our bodies. And I suppose it is true, that they are equals. I would never give up Sandbending for your powers, mystical as they no doubt are. I mean, bending is just what makes me, me." Hong said, picking up the pot of now steamy water before he poured a cup of it.

"I am reminded actually. The Avatar is a person of great importance to the world, from what I know. Do you know where she is?" Thor said, looking at the strange liquid the man drank. It was not known to him that it was Lotus tea, as he had only ever read the word 'tea' before. He had never tasted it.

Hong put the cup to his mouth, then back on the table.

"Hmm... the Avatar? Beats me, from what I know she's still on the South Pole, but with Avatar Korra, I wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly kicked in my door." Thor let himself smile at that. He was really getting better at gaining information from people. He know knew that the Avatar was south. A long way south probably, and that she was named Korra.

"How about the leaders of the land, or just this city?" Mjoll asked, her hand cupping her chin in that thoughtful way that let her intelligence show.

"Why do you wanna know about... right, new to town. Sorry, it's just a weird question, is all. Well, the Council is in control of this city, and consist of a councilor from each element. From the Air nomads, we have... what's his name? Tenzin. Saw him once, big beard, bald head with the typical arrow on it. Can't miss him in a crowd with those red and yellow robes. He's also the more spiritual guy on the Council, where people such as Tarlokk like to spend their time dabbling in bureaucracy and boredom."

"This Tenzin... where does he live?" Mjoll asked. Thor decided to just let her be the talker for now, seeing as she asked the right questions even before he knew them.

"Where he lives? Well, you can't miss it really. Just go for the giant statue of Avatar Aang, and then look at the island right next to it. Airtemple Island, it's called." Thor smiled at that. Now he knew where to go.

* * *

"Korra, what are you doing- No, why aren't you still on the South Pole?!" Tenzin asked. Well, maybe _asked_ wasn't the right word. Shouted in disbelief seemed more appropriate in Korra's opinion. She was standing at the docks near the house on Airtemple Island, looking upon the definitely pissed Tenzin. Wasn't exactly because she had had the best of days ever, with that huge dragon-thing named Oda-wing or something like that. It had only been about seven seconds from she and Naga emerged from the water of Airtemple Island's front yard. In this case the front yard was the sea, but the fact remained that Tenzin had shown an unnaturally fast response to her showing up there. Almost like he had lied in wait.

"Well you were supposed to train me, remember? And since _you_ didn't feel like staying to teach me, I decided to come here. Besides, I thought I could help bring order to Republic city. You know, as the Avatar." She insisted. Next to her, Naga chose that very moment to shake the water from her soaked fur, drenching Tenzin and Korra as well. With a fluid motion, Korra pulled the water from their clothes, making Tenzin's beard stand to the sides like he had been shocked.

"Why you- you were supposed to stay and train on the South Pole. Besides, the city is no place for you right now. It's too dangerous!" Tenzin protested, his face getting red.

"But master Katara said it was-" Korra started, but was cut off when Tenzin almost threw a fit.

"Don't you bring my mother into- she what?!" Whatever he had wanted to say was cut off as he suddenly realized that this was probably because his mother had anything but mellowed and gone sensible with old age.

"Yeah, she said I needed to find my own path." Korra stated, leaning against Naga as the animal pressed at her back from behind, her large head making a wall for the young Avatar to lean against.

"Dear Spirits... as if it isn't enough that I've spent most of the day reading reports of some kind of creature ravaging the city before it was caught. Now I have-" Tenzin started, a hand gliding over his face.

"Creature? Like what, was it big and red and breathed fire?" Korra said, cutting Tenzin off. The airbender looked like he was torn between shouting and fainting in disbelief and shock.

"I- I... yes, it... how did you know that? Were you near when it attacked the guards? What happened? Were you hurt?"

"What? No, no I wasn't hurt. Geez Tenzin, I'm not some little baby. Besides, I wasn't anywhere near when they caught it. Why did they capture it anyway?" Korra asked, confused but also starting to realized just why the dragon had attacked the airships. He had probably been pissed that they had caught him.

"It destroyed a building when it flew in from the sea. It landed in the middle of a residence and almost crushed the residents. Then it attacked the police when they tried sedating and subduing it, but was caught at last. Last I heard, Lin Beifong had it in a secure location." _Not secure enough, it seems_, Korra thought to herself.

"Damn... well, I just... it must have broken out somehow, because it suddenly just picked me and Naga up, and then we landed on a roof." Tenzin seemed to have gone paler than usual, or maybe it was the lights; "And then, I think it was actually a manifested spirit, because it talked to me, and-"

"You what?! Korra, you went _near_ that creature? I don't care if it is a spirit or not, you had no way of knowing if it would attack you. What if it had been something like Ko? Just instead of your face, it could have taken your soul or your bending, or even just killed you. Have you no sense of sensibility in you at all?"

"But Tenz-"

"No Korra, you will be returning to the South Pole, and you will stay there until you have mastered the spiritual side of the Avatar, not just to return here and play with escaped animals. I will return to train you as soon as I have brought Republic City back to order."

"You can't send me back Tenzin! I need to be here, the city needs me! I-"

"No! I will hear no more of-" Tenzin cut her off. However, as the universe had a small amount of justice left, he too was cut off as three children emerged from the skies, revealing themselves to be Jinora, Meelo and Ikki.

"Korraaaa!" The three of them called out, landing right in front of the Avatar. Before Tenzin could even ask how his children knew about her arrival, the three of them had assaulted Korra and tumbled her to the ground in a fierce group hug.

"Hey guys!" Korra responded, her voice and spirit glad to see the three small airbenders again. She started getting up, the children removing themselves from her so as to let her stand.

"Korra, Korra, Korra! Will you be staying here with us? Are you gonna train airbending with us? Can I walk Naga? Are you going to wear airbending clothes like us?" Ikki asked, her usual demeanor of energy doing her credit in the fact that she could effectively cut her father off.

"I... don't know. I'm not supposed to be here apparently, and your dad is pissed at me." She muttered, her eyes unwilling to look Tenzin in the eyes.

"Is this because you didn't want to stay at the South Pole, Korra?" Jinora, the oldest asked. She was by far the most intelligent of the three children, but also the most serious. At some points it was a little dull, but her charisma was otherwise refreshingly young and idealistic to be around. Meelo was the youngest, at only five years old. He was... unique, to say the least. Korra had no idea what really kept him driving, but he sure as hell seemed to have a positive outlook on everything but his own grandmother. The _"strange lady" _As he had called her.

"Yes... Tenzin doesn't believe I'm ready to help." Korra said, kneeling down to the level of the kids.

"No Korra, I just believe the city is too dangerous for you. I know you are a great bender, but things here are complicated, and you might not understand what's going on before it's too late." Tenzin said. Korra looked up, at the same time as the kids.

"What if we helped her dad? We could be her teachers, and then Korra could stay here with us and we could have sleep-overs and talk about boys and then you could teach her airbending with us. Doesn't that sound like a great idea, huh daddy?" Ikki asked, as usual with a voice faster than an Ostrich-horse could run.

"Yeah dad, let Korra stay." Jinora said, speaking against her dad in one of the rare occasions.

"Yeah dad, I'm a teacher." Meelo exclaimed, despite the entire group doubting he had a clue as to what that actually meant. Tenzin, at the realization of his own children turning on him, palmed his face, letting his fingers glide across his eyes as he contemplated just what to do. In the end, he resigned;

"Very well, _IF_ you can behave, and accept _every_ rule we impose, as well do as I say and pay attention to what I say... then fine, you can stay." Tenzin muttered. The joyous cries of his children were cut off as Korra wrapped both them and him in a tight hug, lifting them all into the air as she did. Still, she would have to tell him about that dragon when they were alone, and not while children could hear them. To her, the prospect of something called 'Alduin' approaching her home was more than reason for concern. It was reason for horror.

As the group of benders went up the stairs for the large house and temple that took up a good chunk of the Island, none of them noticed the huge reptilian creature that sat on top of Aang's head, his sharp eyes ignoring the dark as he observed the peculiar human girl of fiery spirit. He was, even in the growing darkness, radiant in the color of red. His claws gripped tightly into the bald dome of the statue, his balance allowing him to rest easily on the round surface.

* * *

**Alright, seems like Odahviing is keeping an eye on Korra. Wonder if he's going to shift alleigances again... nah.**

**Remember to review the Dovah-pooh out of this chapter, and well, all my chapters in general. The more reviews, the faster I work... Like a hamster, only not as cute :)**


	8. The Arena

**Well, well, well... looks like I am starting to write longer chapters here as well. Normally I would say sorry for the delay, but with the shit I've been hammering out in the universe of Mass Effect, I really have no regrets (Anna Fisher for the win!)**

**Well, I actually got a request to get my ass moving and get this chapter done, so I wrote it today... or well, to most of you it will be 'yesterday' in just one minute... anyway...**

**Enjoy, and I promise you, this one, you _will_ enjoy.**

* * *

Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

The Arena

If there was one feature both the indigenous people of Tamriel could agree on was more pleasant, it was that the evenings of this strange new land were much more gentle, the temperature seemingly never dropping below the ten degrees even when the wind was howling, which it wasn't.

The pair, Thor and Mjoll, had tracked down what they had at first believed to be an inn, having asked where they could rent space for their time in the city. The friendly, and impressed by their prowess, servant of the café as it was called, had directed them to what was called an 'apartment-building'. At first none of the two had had any idea as to what apartment meant, but as they asked for rooms, it was revealed that apartments were small houses built into the tall buildings, dozens of them simply stacked upon one another. What was even more weird was how they moved up and down. A strange platform that was more like a small room with a pair of doors, took them up and down in the matter of seconds, where it would have taken minutes on foot. The rent was substantially lower than Thor would have expected, the 'house' having the facilities of a palace. There was an entire room dedicated only to the facilities of washing, as well as a contraption that allowed for hot and heavenly water to pour down like rain, as well as a curtain made from fine linen that separated the small section meant for the pouring water from the rest of the room. Not even the High King had had this kind of luxury. There even was a very advanced bowl, and while Thor had initially taken if for the washing bowl, Mjoll had pulled his hands back before they touched the water. She had at least figured out its purpose, and the mechanical wonder proved to be among the most amazing thing Thor had ever seen in his life.

It was a loo where water was used to simply flush away the filth. He had never seen anything like it, especially because clean water was a luxury in Tamriel as a whole.

There also was a bed stuffed, not with hay or dried grass, nor with simple wool, but with something that felt fit for a Divine. The softness, the comfort of the touch, the smooth feel of the sheets, they were all breathtaking to him, and made his mansion in Solitude look drab and primitive in comparison. Truly, if they managed to defeat Alduin, Thor was starting to see the advantages of never leaving this place again.

There had even been a small mechanical box which, at first, had scared the living Oblivion out of him when he touched a small part of it, and instantly a man's voice began bellowing from it. He remembered that something akin to it had been at the place where he woke up, but he had no idea what it actually was called, let alone how it worked. It wasn't magical, as people in this realm had no concept of magica, but he still could not figure out it's functioning. It appeared to be a replacement of the couriers in Tamriel. This seemingly allowed someone to speak from a long distance to another place without having to wait hours or even days for a response.

They had rented the house for two months, spending five thousand Yuans on it. It appeared to be quite the sum for the lady owning the place, but for the couple, it was, as some would put it, a drop in the ocean.

Now, they were seated on the low wall that fenced the street from the calm ocean, the skies starting to darken, a red sun slowly settling on the surface of the ocean. For reasons Thor did not yet understand, he felt his destructive magica grow vainer in the art of fire as the sun disappeared, but the art of frost strengthening as a result.

"It is beautiful" Mjoll said, her hand intermingling with his as they sat together, watching the silhouette of the Island with the towering building on its surface. It looked like a temple, which supposedly would mean it was the 'Airtemple Island' that Lee had told them about. As the last rays of the sun shone on the tiles of the roof, they were reflected, bathing the immediate coastline in spectral lights.

"Yes... it is." Thor said, feeling his breath taken away at the sight and sensation of sharing these moments with his wife. Normally they had never had the time for this, as multiple people always seemed willing to go at them, foolish as it was.

"I thought the plan was to go over there and meet this Tenzin?" Mjoll said after a while of silence, both of them just enjoying each other's company. Their fingers remained interlocked as Thor took a moment to answer.

"Yes, but considering the fact that the entire guard of the city might still be after us, they would think the homes of their leaders to be in danger. I would rather take some time to scout it out before we commit ourselves to a course of action that would lead to more violence." He said, having pondered over this for some time. He would rather not risk a new meeting with the woman named Beifong as long as she was sure to be stewing in rage over them.

"Good point. So... we just sit here then?"

"We sit here, and watch for any new auras that might show up around the Island. The power of the Thu'um that allowed them to see another person's life-energy would let them see any incoming people even in the blackness of night. And yet, still it was only dusk, but with the darkness settling quickly.

"What do we do if we do see a new aura?" Mjoll asked, her eyes shining a pale red as the Thu'um allowed her the eyesight of the Dovah. As she looked around, she noticed the collection of energy they had both spotted as they started the lookout. At least they now knew where Odahviing was resting, but not why, or for how long he had been there. It seemed an odd place to rest, on top of a bald statue, but Dragons had been doing things odder than that.

"Depends on the situation. If say, it is a new big collection of energy in the skies, we soil our drawers because then Alduin has arrive early... but otherwise we just wait and watch."

"You're scared of facing Alduin?" Mjoll asked, turning to look at her husband.

"Of course. Mjoll, I might be the Dragonborn, but I bleed and die as easily as any man. If Alduin comes, I do not know if I can take him on alone. And the city-watch seems adamant to kill us before helping... I do not know how, but we need to get to this Tenzin and then convince him to speak for us. I cannot imagine a guard being able to turn down the word of a councilor."

After a long period of time spent with the simple joy of spending uninterrupted time with each other, enjoying the salty air that came in from the ocean, listening to the waves as they splashed against the wall, Thor was on the verge of drifting off to sleep. He felt the need to just lie down on the wall and close his eyes, even if he could fall in the ocean.

"Thor?"

"What?" He answered, rubbing his eyes as he breathed in, trying to keep sleep at bay. It had been a long day, and the constant fighting an running had taken its toll on him, as it had on her. Despite having healed his injuries, the Dragonborn could still feel the strain in his muscles from when the guard-chief had sent him smashing against the walls and the floor with blocks of stone and rock.

"I am not sure how to put this... but an aura like that of a Dragon just left the Island." Mjoll said. Thor was on his feet in an instant, so fast that he felt his head spin from it.

"What?!"

"An incredibly powerful aura just left the Island... it's... swimming through the ocean? But with an incredible speed." Mjoll said. Thor strained his eyes and looked at the sea around the island. Indeed, a form the size of a human was speeding through the water, heading towards the shore. It seemed to be heading for the large golden building that stood on its own, cut off from the city with only a single bridge connecting the two masses of land.

Before any of them could make a further assessment on the situation though, a new aura grew in intensity as it crossed the distance between the statue and the shore. It landed in the shape of a familiar red Dovah, causing the stonework to crack as the creature positioned himself on the edge of the wall as well.

"Dovahkiin and Lioness. It is good to see that you have both prevailed captivity, or maybe you were never caught? Hmmm... hmm, I wonder, why are you here at the ocean?" Odahviing spoke, resting his head on a vehicle standing moored to the ground with chains in the wheels. The roof bent and creaked, but held as the dragon gazed lazily but interested at his two charges.

"Odahviing. I am glad to see you have suffered no injuries either. How did you escape captivity?" Thor said, nodding to the dragon in a greeting less formal than the first had been. An annoyed snort escaped the dragon, as well as gusts of fire from his nostrils.

"I did not. Men clad in steel caught me with ropes of metal, binding my jaws so that I couldn't Shout. It was... humiliating, to be trapped beneath the ground like a caged rabbit. A woman of steely resolve tried pressing me for information, but did not believe what I told her. She dismissed me, _me!_ Odahviing, son of Akatosh! I would have taken her head had I had the reach, but she was clever as well as brave and insolent. She kept her distance, and it would been for naught had I tried spewing fire at her. I know she would have inflicted on me agony had I tried... but in the end I broke free, and made an acquaintance... one of interest." He said, his reptilian eyes moving around as he scanned the area for onlookers. Finding none, he continued.

"A girl, no more than twenty winters at most. She has the fire and spirit of my kind, of you even Dovahkiin. I believe her to be of importance to our mission, and hence I have been watching over her since I left her side on a rooftop. Her's and the peculiar dog-creature that looked as much a polar bear as it did a hound." Her said, seemingly amused at the memory of the hound-creature. Thor and Mjoll looked at each other at the description of the person. A girl, and with the power of the Dovah. Only few explanations were available;

"Odahviing, was her name Korra?" Mjoll asked, looking at the dragon as she did. It was considered highly impolite and even rude to the extreme to not look a Dovah in the eye when speaking to it. The dragon shifted his head so that a large vertical pupil was staring right at the Nord woman;

"Hmm... hmm yes. Yes she was a woman of blue clothing, or more of a child really. She called the reason for her powers something called 'Avatar'. The meaning... still escapes me, but she possesses the highest sense of power and energy I have ever seen since... Krosis, since you, Dovahkiin. I have been shadowing her ever since, letting her know of Alduin's approach. As the guardian of this realm, she needed to know, I believe. Did I act wrong?"

"Wrong? Odahviing, you found the very person we have been looking for. Where is she?" Thor exclaimed, his hands giddy at his side. He was only clad in his robes, hoping not to attract attention by wearing full armor in public. Mjoll still had her 'regular' clothes, but now without the bulky armor underneath it, she no longer looked like an incredibly buff man with long hair. The dragon looked to the ocean, and Thor got a strange feeling he would not enjoy the Dovah's next words;

"You should not ask, seeing as you have discovered her yourself. Can your eyes not see her aura speeding through the waters?" The Dragon scoffed, his nose pointing at the ocean, and more importantly, towards the golden building. Thor could see the bright aura suddenly leap from the waters with speed no human should be capable off without the Thu'um. What was odd was how the aura almost gave off a humming sound, yet with nothing hearable. It was like the vibrations of loud sound, but without the noise. It shifted between red and golden white each other second, making the Imperial widen his eyes. It would seem the Dovah had been right.

"Alright, we need a plan. We cannot just leave the post here, but we cannot let the Avatar just slip away. Thoughts?" Thor said, looking to his two companions in search for input.

"Hmm... hmmm... I can keep an eye on the island, but I would not be able to contact the residents without causing panic. One of you could stay and be the... human touch, I think you say?" Odahviing said, his throat vibrating with the words he summoned. Talking in the language of Man had always been a bother.

"Thor, you are the only one capable of getting through to this 'Korra' if you meet. You share the same power and responsibility from what I understand. I can stay here with Odahviing, you go find this Avatar-girl." Mjoll said, a small amount of regret in her voice. He could understand that, being separated was never his first choice, as they tended to even out each others' strengths and weaknesses. Mjoll was physically the stronger and hardier of the two, but he was most prominent in the Thu'um. Combined they were neigh unstoppable, but apart there was a risk of getting harmed. In the end, Thor nodded, resigned to following Odahviing's plan. He quickly made sure his weapons, the blade and his war-axe, were both tugged away under his clothes and robes, then turned to look at the Dovah;

"Be careful, and watch over each other." He said, then placed his hands on Mjoll's cheeks, soft despite her body having been hardened by the climate and life in Skyrim. His wife flashed a warm smile, her soft lips invited him in. With a quick motion, he pressed in and kissed her, a longing gesture that showed his love and care for her more than he could ever do with words. Her lips parted, allowing him to taste her in their quick but passionate kiss.

As they parted, he looked upon her face, drinking in her eyes and features as she did the same, cupping his rough face with a hand caressing his prickly beard.

"Be safe Love, try not to get in a fight with this Korra, or anyone else." She said as he slowly parted from her, regret clear in his movements. It were times like these where they would truly appreciate their bond, the care they showed for each other and the love they shared.

"No promises" He said with a small grin as he pecked her on the forehead. It was physically littler more than a brief touch of his lips on her skin, but the gesture was made, and accepted with grateful mind. As soon as he had moved a little away, she punched him on the shoulder;

"I mean it. We already have the guard as our current enemies. We do not need the guardian of this realm to detest us as well." She remarked, giving him a glare to contest his coy smile and mock-hurt expression.

"Right, right I know." He said, then turned his back to them as he started making his way towards the golden building.

The air was still warm, even with the frisk wind blowing towards him and making his robes fly behind him as he neared the approaching crowds currently nearing the building. His first assumption had been that it was the palace in where the Council resided, but the huge amount of civilians, many mere plebs, if he had to go from their clothing compared to others, told him that it was a public building, but of what sort he did not know. As he merged with the crowd, he noted several wary gazes at him from the surrounding citizens. He could see worry and even the occasional hateful glare from some of them.

In the end, he had enough and stopped one of them with a hand on his shoulder. The whimper the man suppressed surprised Thor, and he decided to be a little more gentle.

"Forgive my intrusion citizen, but you as well seem to look at me with wary eyes. Why is that? Have I committed a crime by walking here with or without a certain attire?" He said, causing the man to stop completely and several others to cast looks at them. At first the man, seemingly nervous, looked to both sides in an obvious attempt to evade the question and escape in the crowd. As it became evident that he could not, he resigned to his fate and looked at the hooded Imperial.

"It's... your clothing. It makes people nervous." He said. Thor raised a brow at that.

"Really? Why?"

"You dress in much the same way as Amon, and he is figure that while hidden, is feared by many." Great, he was being compared to either a tyrant of maybe a mass murderer. He still had no idea, so he decided to press the man for more.

"Well, I'm not this Amon, but why is he feared?" The man gave Thor a new look, eyes narrowing a bit as he took in the foreign features of the Imperial man. Thor knew what the man saw. He was foreign to these people, and both his skin and build was different. First of all, he was paler in tan and skin tone, and his eyes were rounder and more shrewd than the narrow and sharp eyes of these people.

"You are... not from here, are you?" The man finally said. Thor just gave a relaxed smile and shook his head.

"No friend, I am from Tamriel in the East, past the oceans. they had practiced their cover since the small story they had made up to entertain the curiosity of Lee Hong.

Tamriel would be a small secluded island off the eastern coast of the continent, known to only the dignitaries and diplomats supposed to make a living by negotiating and ensuring trade with them. If he would have to explain his skills, especially those that allowed him to master fire, ice and lightning, he would have to delve into a deeper explanation of magica. Also, he could explain it with some, to the city, unknown scientific phenomenon that allowed them to do it. The word 'magica' could never men something to them without the explanation, and he would give the same answer as he had to Hong if asked how they had not been caught up in some sort of great war.

"Oh... never heard of that place. Amon, is the leader of the Equalists. They are... not the best bunch to be caught up in. They want to outlaw bending, and make everyone "equal" as they see it. Word of advice, drop the hood when going inside, or just drop the hood at all. That way you won't suddenly be arrested on suspicion of being one of them. " The man said, throwing out his arms in a gesture of explanation. At that, Thor pulled his hood down, having no desire to be picked by the guard and then recognized as the one who beat the crap out of their entire garrison.

"Thank you. Also, I am very new to this city. Could you tell me what place of public access this is? Is it a church or a public execution?" Thor asked, not understanding why the man's face went a little pale with the last question.

"Exe... Spirits no! I mean... we don't- I... this is the Pro-bending arena. People come here to watch the competitors slug water, fire and stone at each other. It's like... I don't know how to explain it really, it's just two three-man teams trying to shove each other off the platform. You'd have to watch it yourself to understand." the man said, looking visibly shaken that Thor had mentioned a public execution as entertainment. The Imperial didn't understand that.

It had been fun to watch the head of a Thalmor Justicar roll from the platform in Solitude. There had been quite the lynch-mood in all of Tamriel when the Emperor had ripped the White-Gold Concordant in pieces upon the reunification of the continent. Apparently Tulius had reported that they had sufficient manpower with the addition of the Nords, to hold off and beat back the elves of Summerset Isles. The war had yet to exceed skirmishes when they had left Nirn a few days ago, the only true battle having been between a battle group of Nords led by Galmar Stonefist himself as they raided the elven embassy and fought the guards. Thor hadn't been there himself, but apparently that was the first time many had seen Galmar smile and laugh.

As he walked up to the entry, he saw people in lines buying their tickets. Seeing how the cue was far too long to his taste, he decided that in this case, the Thu'um could be allowed to aid him in something not life-threatening. First though, Thor put some distance between him and the rest of the crowd, going to hide behind a set of large metallic crates and containers, empty at the moment.

_"Feim-Zii-Gron"_ He whispered. Almost the instant the words had left his mouth, his body was given to the void, his flesh becoming as thick air. As he rolled his shoulders, he noticed the life-force of a human being, only one meter away. Turning, he saw a man clad in rags with a bottle in his hand. Thor, never having been one to miss a prank, smiled and nodded at the man;

"And that's it for tonight's entertainment." He said, then snuck towards the wall of the building. As he left, the bum threw his bottle away as hard as he could.

As he reached the wall, he looked around to make sure none saw him, then simply walked through the stone and wood making up the wall. As advanced as the city was, it had nothing on the magic of the Dovah.

Inside, the building was packed with people, and Thor hurried to dispel his form, turning back into his original shape before anyone started yelling about ghosts. Still, nothing could be as scary as the vampires from Dawnguard. Those things, as he didn't view monsters with wings and fangs to be people, were scary as hell, and had granted him more than one night without sleep. Having a wife to comfort you when waking up after those nightmares had been a huge relief for his sanity.

The corridors were lightened up by large lamps in the ceiling, no spot darker than the other. There also was a long carpet that covered the floor, making it softer to walk on. A waste of resources unless people walked with bare feet, in his opinion.

With the amount of people in the building, it could have been impossible to find one girl, Avatar or not. Luckily, the eyesight of the Dovah had not stopped its function, allowing him to see the souls and life-forces of those he passed. He scouted through the crowds, desperately searching for the flicker of white and gold energy, the energy belonging to the guardian of this world.

He wouldn't have to search for long.

As he scouted the rooms and hallways, looking both above and beneath him, he could see that the corridors above were deserted save for three flickers of life. One was alone, moving around on its own, while another red energy was walking right beside the one he was searching. _Got'cha_

While the sight allowed him to follow the Avatar, it did not show him any access way to that floor. However, he still remembered how difficult it was trying to utilize his flames as propulsion to carry him upwards, which meant that while it would gain him a lot of attention, he would likely not move from where he stood, or maybe just tip over. So far he had yet to actually fly by using it, and the Dragon Aspect made him... uncontrollable. With this amount of people around, he would not risk that danger.

Instead, he opted to simply scour the hallways until he came upon a stairway, a ladder or one of the magical new contraptions that would carry him straight up. It was called something along the way of 'elevating', but he could not remember the name.

As he rounded a corner, he passed a young lady with an older man, possibly her father, in tow. She was, for lack of better words, a radiant beauty, while retaining some high-class sense still. Her hair was black as coal and she had some odd green mascara around her eyes. Her dress was rather informal, if one could call it that, and reminded him more of a thick coat that formed into a dress at her hips, and then parted. He had to admit it, even if he only caught a fleeting glance. She _did_ look very good.

Her dad or follower on the other hand though, was heavy in build and had a big moustache that covered most of his lower face, a pair of round pieces of glass over his eyes, and a very, _very_ expensive looking coat.

Thor nodded to the pair and received a polite smile and a nod in return from the both of them before moving on. As he moved on, his heightened senses allowed him to hear bits of their conversation.

"Dad, didn't he look a bit... different?"

"Asami, people are different in most regards, but I agree in this case. Maybe he is a foreign vis..." as they moved on, the voices became too vague for him to hear. Still, it pointed out an issue he was well aware of. He looked, even with his robes straightened out as much as they possibly could, out of place. Still, it was better than to look like a type the police might arrest.

Asami... that, like most names he had heard yet, was highly unusual and would never have been come up with back home. Still, she seemed to fit her name well, and her father seemed to take well care of her... why was Thor worrying about these things when he was on the hunt? He didn't know, but he didn't have the time to care either as a man armored in the same manner as the guards suddenly came into view.

At first, Thor had hoped the man would just see him as another guest, but there was a good possibility that with the leader of the guards believing him a threat, there would be guards looking for him at the location of the Avatar. It made sense too. Thor, had all gone well, would have simply walked by the guard, nodding as he did.

Instead...

The guard, being mere meters from him, suddenly stopped and looked at Thor. his eyes went over the robes as well as the different face of the Imperial. Thor could feel the man scrutiny his every hair, every inch of his face. He pondered if this kind of behavior from a guard would have made Mjoll slap him for staring at her chest. Then a light of realization went up in the eyes of the guard.

"You... you are the wanted man! You almost destroyed the station!" The eyes of the man were hard and his face etched with anger. It would seem Thor could not just nod and walk by. He held up his hands in surrender to show no harm was to befall the guard.

At least not with his hands.

"Believe me, it was not my wish to cause damage to your barracks... your station as you call it. It was all a simple misunderstanding, and I am regretful for the lives lost due to the... urge, you seemed to show in fighting me." He said as the guard, now armed with a pair of spikes, moved closer. Disarming him would be boringly easy.

"I lost friends when you burned and froze your way through the-" Was all he ever got to say before Thor, still holding up his hands, breathed in and then commanded;

_"Gol-Hah-Dov"_ It was more of a whisper than a Shout, in truth, but the effect was there.

The guard stood perfectly still, looking at him with wondrous and awaiting eyes. Thor smirked, then waved his hand before the man. A command in the shape of motion was needed to complete the magic;

"You have not met any criminals today." He said with a soft but firm voice.

"I have not met any criminals today" The guard replied.

"You will go out and enjoy the show."

"I will... go out and enjoy.. .the show." The guard finished, then simply walked past Thor with a serene smile on his face. A shame that Shout only worked on one person at a time, or he could have used it at the "station" the guard had mentioned. Now he just needed to find that stair or passage, and he would find the Avatar.

Still, the place was big, and the fact that he had to walk for more than ten minutes as well as bend the will of two additional guards, made it rather annoying that he spent so long before he found a door in the wall that had a sign with an upward-turned arrow on it. In other words it would have to lead to the next level.

_"Aaaaand Mako beats his opponent straight out over the edge! I tell you folks, the Fire ferrets are on __**fire**__ tonight and..._" Despite the man sounding quite agitated, Thor cared little for the constant stream of words coming from some big room in the direction of the Avatar. At least he was on the same level as her, hopefully in more ways than one. If it came to blows, it would not be pleasant to find himself outmatched by a young girl.

_"And here comes Bolin, delivering a devastating..."_ In a small fit of annoyance, Thor dispelled his improved hearing, reducing the voice to a mere noise as he neared the location of the Avatar, now standing alone, if the singular speck of light was to be believed through the walls. From what he could make out, there was a sort of chasm right before the girl, and he wondered just what was wrong with his eyes. He could only make out the outline of things when he was close enough, and at the moment the Avatar was just on the other side of the door. Still it looked like the floor just ended where she stood, which caused him to scratch his head in wonder.

"Dammit, I will have to face her now, won't I?" He muttered, then pulled up his hood. While guards would arrests him if they thought he was... he had forgotten the name, but the man that people seemed to fear, he might just be able to interact with this 'Avatar' without being recognized as a criminal, as the guards of the city had labeled him. He breathed in, idly feeling for and making sure that both his weapons were where they were supposed to, then opened the door.

Beyond it, he lost his breath.

Thor had seen many grand things in his life. He had travelled the abandoned halls and cities of the Dwemer, he had scoured the provinces of Skyrim and Cyrodiil too, he had seen the golden tower and he had traversed the icy tundra and stood upon the peaks of High Hrothgar. And yet, none of those places compared to what he saw now.

He had stepped into a small open room, only three of its four sides walled off. There were a few lockers, a small bench and other trivial objects. A girl clad in a blue sleeveless shirt stood with her back to him, looking at the same view as he, resting on a railing that prevented a fall.

Thor wanted to utter a fitting remark, but found he had no voice. The sight before him stole it away, its grandiose and size imposing on him. It was a room, or maybe a small city, domed by a roof of glass. The bottom of it was covered in water as far as he could see, and in the middle of the room was a large platform, attracting the attention of the _thousands_ of people in the seats around the arena, as that was the only word he could find to describe what he saw. Two teams of three people each were fighting each other, from what he could see. They were hurling and slugging fire, water and rock at each other in a dazzling speed. Long tendrils of water shoot up from the ground it seemed, as well as small disks of brown material emerging from patterns in the floor. A person on each team was constantly throwing balls or waves of flames at his opponent, making it appear more like a deadly fight than what the man had called 'entertainment'. Still, it was unlike anything he had ever seen, and he found himself staring dumbly at it until the man started yelling again, proclaiming that the man who had just been shot from the platform by a ball of fire had been someone named 'Zoa'.

Finally, Thor found his mind again, as well the fact that the girl had not yet seen him, still taken in completely by the match playing out in front of her. Thor, walking quietly to stand a foot behind her, noted her clothing to be different from that of any other people he had seen so far. Aside from her shirt, the girl had dark hair that divided into a pair of bundles hanging from the sides of her head, as well as a ponytail. Her pants were intricate, consisting of both fur and woven material, or maybe it was skin from animals? He did not know, but it seemed like an appealing combination, and suited her darker tan remarkably well. Opting on his eyesight of the Dovah one last time, he could see the practical _fountain_ of energy that flowed within her body. It appeared that she was made from the light, not just containing it. As he found himself satisfied with having regained his posture and composure, he calmly walked next to her, leaning against the railing next to her.

Needless to say, the girl got a shock.

"Holy- sorry, sorry I didn't know anyone else were here. Bolin said I could watch the match from here. you're not here to throw me out, are you? Because I _really_ just need to see this to the end, I promise to leave when they are done, please, this is just the most awesome thing I've ever... you're not a guard here, are you?" Her tone changed from frantic to slightly embarrassed as well as curious. Thor just smiled, chuckling lightly at her behavior. _By the Gods, Mjoll would _love_ this place... and probably scold me for my introduction not being more regal..._

"Don't worry child, I am not here to throw you out. I must admit, I find this to be quite entertaining myself. I am Thor by the way, Thor Ugvedsson. Going from your... appearance, I will wager a guess that you are not meant to be here either?... in this room I mean." He said, giving her a friendly look that seemed to calm her down. Still, the curious look in her eyes persisted, as well as an _inner fire_. Odahviing had been right, she had the soul of no mortal.

The girl, actually looking no more than eighteen winters, scratched the back of her head before looking back at the fight below, one hand at the railing.

"I'm Korra, of the Southern Water tripe." She said, an energetic smile on her face as she did. It turned out that she couldn't avert her eyes from the fight for more than a few seconds at a time. Thor could understand that, feeling a surge of excitement himself as he watched the elements being tossed around like balls in the greens outside his childhood-home in the Imperial capital. Though he supposed these 'balls' hurt a lot more than the ones he had once played with.

"Ah... so Korra, you are the Avatar, am I not correct?" He said, keeping up his smile. It was easy, he found, to smile around her. She had an aura of energy that radiated youth and strength, as well as humor and need for the rush of battle. She reminded him of Mjoll, in some ways, just a lot younger... well, not _a lot_, but at least seven years younger than his wife and five younger than him. The look of astonishment on her face was enough to make him almost laugh, but he repressed it to a hearty chuckle. It was timed with a man named 'Mako' being thrown off the platform by a surge of water.

"How... I... I haven't told anyone here, aside from Tenzin, how... how did you know?" She asked, wonder and confusion in her eyes. Thor, still grinning like when he had received his first pair of shoes as a little boy, despite them having been hand-me-downs from the nearby orphanage, pulled the hood from his face with a relaxed motion.

"I am... what's his name... I am Amon. Fear me!" He said, managing to make his voice deep and threatening as he did so. He couldn't keep it up though, as her facial expression made him bend over in a fit of laughter.

"You... are you... normal?" She finally asked, seemingly having figured out that it was a joke. Oh, how Thor could already imagine the agony his behind would be in currently had Mjoll been there. She would have kicked his butt for joking at a time like that. Finally, he managed to stop, then stood straight again.

"Some would say 'no', but others would say 'yes'. It really depends on who you ask. Be calm child, it was just a joke. My name remains Thor, just as you remain the Avatar no matter what powers might say otherwise. As for how I figured it out? Tell me, you wouldn't happen to have met any large, flying reptiles lately? specifically red ones that talk and spew fire?" He said, putting on a more serious, but still smiling, appearance. At the platform, three of the four lights were now shining.

"I... how do you know about Odahviing? and yes, I met him on a rooftop, after he burned down two airships." Korra said. She sounded a bit upset, but not in any negative way. She was simply so caught up in his words that the fight below had lost her interest.

"He didn't mention me? His... hem, master?" He asked, a small wrinkle around his upper lip as he pressed down the smirk. Goading her was one of the more humorous things he had done that day, spending hours on the lavish bed while making Mjoll groan in pleasure was not in the category he had in mind. It was also private, hence no wish to dig deeper while he was in the company of someone else than his naked and sweating wife.

"Wait..." Korra said, as a light dawned in her eyes; "You are... are you his... master, the man with the soul of a Dragon?" She said, awe and more confusion in her voice. Meanwhile, one of the men in the red suits was thrown against the platform's railing... hard.

"The Dovahkiin, or Dragonborn as humans call me. Yes, that is me Korra. Understand that we are very much alike, and yet so far apart. My powers herald from the souls of Dovah I myself have collected, as well as my divine heritage. I am the body and flesh of a man, but my inner spirit is that of the Diiv and the Dovah, the wyrms and the dragons. Your powers though... they remain an enigma to me until explored further. Do you have time to leave this place and walk with me, or do I take my leave?" He said, silently already knowing what her answer would be.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean... gaah, I don't- can you just wait a few minutes? Please, I need to talk to Bolin and his brother first, and then we can definitely talk. Are we in a really big hurry? Did... did the spirits send you?" She said, Thor feeling the anxiousness welling up inside her. That, and her energy was constantly shifting and turning inside her body, red and gold-white merging and parting in constant flurry. Thor was not in a hurry, only to remain known by as few people as possible. Still, he worked with those closest to him, and so he supposed those closest to the Avatar could be trusted.

"Have no hurry Korra. We are not pressed for time, only that I wish to return to my... home, in this place, before it is too late in the night. I have people waiting for me there, Odahviing included, though... you might want to examine the head of the grand statue the next time the sun is down." Thor said. Korra was about to respond, but was cut off by the man once again shouting

_"The Fire ferrets are the winners!"_

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**What did I tell ya? I bet (hope) you enjoyed that one. Seriously, Thor cannot take anything seriously. In that aspect, Korra is the adult :D**


	9. Dark side of the Soul

**As the name implies, there will be some rather dark stuff in this one... still, just enjoy and review it, then I'll make more ;)**

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Avatar - bender of the Thu'um

Dark side of the Soul

Thor leaned against the railing as he saw the trio of fighters move towards the lift below them, still unaware of his presence. That was good, as it gave him and Korra a few extra moments to contemplate the situation.

Of course, as he had decided earlier, it would probably become necessary for the Avatar's companions to know about him, but he would prefer that it would be on his terms that they discovered his true purpose. He had yet to fully explain the situation to the girl as well, and it would seem most reasonable to cover her before moving on to her followers.

"So... what do I tell them? I mean, that you are some godlike dragon in human form or what?" Korra asked, throwing her hands out to the side as the lift started going towards them, two of the three people on it looking at the top while the third seemed more interested in studying the hall below him.

"Tell them... for now, tell them the partial truth." Thor said, a hand cupping his chin as he made eye-contact with a green-eyed goofy-looking young man with black hair. Korra, looking at her new friends with worry, then turned to him;

"Which is?" She asked, becoming impatient as the lift neared hearing distance. Thor, sensing her impatience, scratched his chin, pondering just what to say.

"That I am your guardian as the Avatar. In truth, it is part of why I am here, so it will not be a complete lie. Tell them that I am either an old friend, or maybe family from the South. I will leave that part up to you, but I will remain until we can speak one on one." He said, then became silent as the lift reached them, and the trio of people embarked. First out was the man who had seemed uninterested in the other two, taking his helmet off and discarding it on the bench while he growled.

Next came the goofy, but revealed to be muscular young man with green eyes. He was in what would appear a good mood, despite the confused and slightly worried glance he shot Thor. Still, he seemed quite agitated and energized. _Ahh, the energy of youth..._

"Wuuuhuuu! Yes! One more win, and we're in the Championship Tournament!" The kid yelled, then snapped his fingers in a curious fashion that made an entertaining if not humorous sound, like the crackle of embers. "So, what do you think Korra? Bolin's got some moves huh?" He said, taking off his helmet and revealing a warm, friendly face that imposed trust and warmth. It was a face Thor could like, as opposed to the other man who had just dumped his gear and gone off with a sour energy about him. His attention was drawn back when, to his great surprise, Korra grabbed the young man at his shoulders and dragged him in. At first Thor half expected her to kiss him, as it reminded him of how Mjoll behaved when she had had a particularly good day.

"What did I think? What. did. I . think? That was amazing!" Korra yelled, then punched the man in the shoulders, sending him backwards with a friendly shove. That was when the last guy exited the lift, sending a hard stare at the door where the other man had just exited the booth.

"Useless" He stated, as if it was the most simple fact of the world, while also having a certain aura of coldness to him. Thor did not dare activate his sight, as it would make his eyes glow a pale red. Not what would be best for a first impression. Korra turned from the merry adolescent and faced the colder one instead.

"You guys were incredible! Especially you Mako." She exclaimed. Thor, despite still not being in the conversation apart from the worried glances sent by the more stocky and warm young man, could not help but smile at her energy. He still had his hood down, seeing how the people now with them were obviously locals, and as such might react to his hooded appearance in much the same way as most other he had met. Still, he supposed his fair hair and beard earned him looks too.

"Oh, you're still here?" This was also why he was so surprised at the reaction from the cooler man, that he failed to inhale properly and started having a coughing fit, resulting in the warmer youth trying to clap him hard on the back. Thor just waved him off with a smile. Korra didn't seem to have noticed it, instead being caught up in the answer she had just received.

"Oh, you're still a jerk?" It was, in a way, surprising to see that the guardian of this realm was capable of being, as Mjoll had put it, 'pissed off', when she received bad response. Thor had somewhat hoped for a pure, if naive guardian when he saw her youth, but it was clear she was just as human in behavior as he was, for better or worse.

"Ouch..." The other youth said. Thor, seeing as the colder youth was named Mako, assumed that the warm and friendly young man would have to be Bolin. It made sense, seeing how he had been the one to invite Korra to what appeared to be their competition in mastery of the elements. Korra however, seemed to shrug it off, and turned back to Bolin.

"Anyway... I've been immersed in bending my entire life, but I've never seen anything like this. It's like there's a whole new style here. Think you can teach me a few tricks?" She asked, causing Thor to raise a brow in wonder. It did though, seem natural that she would want to learn what she could. Still, it appeared that his earlier assessment of the young people being her friends was wrong. One was apparently not even willing to stay in the room, one was cold and indifferent towards her, and only Bolin seemed to actually care about her.

"Sure, but... who's this new guy? I mean, no offense, but I didn't really mean for any new people to come in here. " Bolin said, turning to look at Thor. Luckily, especially because Thor didn't know how to respond to that, Korra came to his rescue.

"Oh he's a friend and mentor from the South Pole. He's kinda here to, like oversee my training and all." She said, nodding towards him with a smile. Thor returned it, then looked at the two other people, still smiling as he nodded to them as well;

"Name's Thor. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, both of you. But please, do not let me interrupt. On a side-note, I too, greatly enjoyed the fight. Seeing the elements tossed around like this was... breathtaking." He admitted. Bolin seemed to cheer up even further with that.

"Ah, it was nothing. Who am I kidding, we kicked ass! But yeah, I think I can teach you a few tricks, or at least show you the basics." Bolin said while Mako, who Thor was starting to suspect was not a friend of Bolin's, but a brother. It would certainly make a more serious amount of sense. Thor followed the conversation with his eyes, but decided not to intrude too much. Instead he turned to Mako.

"Say... how come you are so cold towards her? From what I heard, she praised your efforts. Where I come from, that is not rewarded with the cold shoulder." He said. Mako turned around and gave Thor a tired, if annoyed stare.

"Because Bolin keeps dragging in fan girls and that sort of things. Don't get me wrong, I am sure Korra is a fine person and all, but I have just had it with crowds of fan-girls trying to get in here." Mako said. So, Thor thought, they had fans? On cheerers and supporters? Still, while this could explain his attitude towards random new people, Thor wanted to point out the fact that Korra was the guardian of the realm, the Avatar. With eyes closed in a sigh, he turned back to the conversation.

"- waterbender and a firebender." He only caught the last part of what Korra said, but the expression of confusion on Bolin's face was close to laughable. The green-eyed boy took a hand to his chin and had a rather somber expression at that.

"Hmm... hmmm, okay... hmmm... I'm very confused right now." He said, making Thor crack a smile. Sure, the kid had warmth and an easy-going nature that already had Thor liking him, but it would seem he wasn't the brightest lad in the city. Next to him Mako sighed.

"You're the Avatar, and I'm an idiot." He said, his voice more like an admittance than stating a fact. Still, it made Thor smile, albeit he hid it below the hand curled over his mouth in a thoughtful gesture.

"Both are, true." Korra smirked, a rather happy expression on her face. She did indeed seem like she had just won a battle of wits, although Thor felt he would have needed to be at the start of the conversation to understand the victory. However, his thoughts were washed away by the hilariousness of how Bolin reacted to the knowledge that his friend was the guardian of the realm.

"No. Way... The Avatar!" He yelled, but at the same time whispered to Mako. Thor, still leaning against the wall chuckled at this, trying to remain as stoic as he could. It was only difficult around Bolin, as the kid seemed to have a gift for entertaining and making people laugh.

"Well Korra, I thought you wanted to keep that part a secret?" Thor mused, catching the eyes of the three youngsters.

"So... even if Korra is the Avatar, which is just plain awesome by the way, I'm guessing that you are a waterbender, right? You know, being from the South Pole and all." Bolin said. Thor, exchanging quick look with Korra, just shook his head with a small smile.

"Not... exactly. Well, yes I have been there, but I do not hail from that cold place." As much of a lie this was, that he had been to the Pole, he figured it would not hurt to have a story until Korra herself told her friends. It was most fair after all, that she as the guardian of the realm had the final word here.

"You know, you have really odd hair. And don't take it the wrong way, I think it looks... nice, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone with that hair color before." He should see Mjoll then, Thor mused to himself, thinking of the locals' reactions to her hair. He knew it, as he thought it every so often himself. She was a radiating beauty, when the sun played with her cobber hair.

"I reckon you are the first to tell me that my hair looks nice, Bolin, so thank you. And no, it seems few in this city have. They have all given the same reaction towards me and my companions. That of wonder and interest until they find it is simply normal to where we come from. But come now, as the night grows older, and I need to talk with my charge before I leave." Thor said, pushing himself off the wall. As he did, the long blade that was the Dragonbane slid out from his clothing and fell to the floor with a metallic clatter. All eyes went to the Blade-smitten weapon as Thor silently cursed, then picked it up again.

"Wow... what is thát?" Korra said.

"My sword? You have seen swords before, I hope" Thor said, checking the blade for any scrapes the fall might have caused. He also noted that the floor now had a long scratch in it, despite being of metal. Indeed, the blade made from the best of the Imperial smiths when the Blades had been in power, was something of a marvel, even when magic was abundant.

"Yeah but... why are you armed?" Mako asked, eying Thor with growingly suspicious eyes. Thor just slid the sword back in place, then tapped his side to make sure the weapons wouldn't fall again.

"I am always armed. I may be an adept user of fire, but that does not mean I would not carry my weapons. My people are long and proud warriors of both the elements and the art of weapons. I will tell you more at some other time, but time indeed, grows shorter. I suggest again that you continue the exercise Bolin seems to have planned with Korra, then I need to walk her home. The Avatar is often, as the important individual she is, targeted by enemies, wielding not only weapons but contraptions of far greater evil." Thor said. In his mind, he could see the Hagravens, abominable creatures. He remembered how necromancers had raised those sworn to fight alongside him, to fight against Thor. Weapons, as lethal as they might be, were often not the most horrifying one could face.

"You mean the press?" Mako said. Thor, not knowing that particular word, scratched his chin.

"Press?"

"The paparazzi? You know, cameras, annoying people, journalists?" Mako continued. Thor gestured at the door before he continued, signaling that it was time to move. He wanted to get back to Mjoll and Odahviing before the Dovah became impatient and came looking for him. Thor did not like the possible prospect of the huge creature suddenly landing on the roof of the building or flying around while shouting his name.

"Right... them. Yes, I was talking about the parazi... pappasi? papparazi? what did you say they were called again?" Thor asked as the small group moved down the corridor the same way Thor had come. Bolin and Korra were at the front, apparently knowing where they were headed. Thor walked at the back along with Mako. The boy, as he seemed no older than starting to grow chin-hairs, was unnaturally calm and collected, a direct opposite to Bolin who was energetic and warm, not to mention outgoing.

"So you protect her from the paparazzi, but have no real clue as to what they actually are?" Mako said, starting to become rather annoying as it was clear he was suspicious of the Imperial.

"Only arrived here yesterday. I have yet to fully get used to what goes on in this grand city." Thor answered casually as they followed Korra and Bolin through a doorway that led them inside a room stacked with equipment and nets. Most of it was foreign to him, but Thor could recognize one or two weights meant for exercising and improving strength. This seemed to be where they trained and worked out.

Upon reaching stacks of plate-sized slabs of clay, Bolin pulled his uniform off, revealing a pair of black trousers and a thin, oddly woven and designed white shirt that seemed to serve no function of warmth on its own.

"Alright Korra, get over here, and I'll see if I can't show you a thing or two." Bolin said, drawing the Avatar to where he stood between two small stacks of clay-plates, each oddly a copy of the coin Thor had in his purse, the same square hole in the middle. While Mako took his own shirt off too, Thor just sat down on the floor, content with merely watching as the Avatar would demonstrate her prowess with stone and clay.

The youngster pulled a pair of the disks into the air with gestures of his hands and arms, fists curled as if ready to punch someone. Bolin then punched the air, sending the disks flying at an impressive speed until they were caught by the net at the other side of the room.

"Now you try" Bolin said. Korra nodded, then took his place with a stance that indicated strength and stubbornness. She then repeated his movements, albeit a bit slower and with a more powerful set of movements than Bolin had used. Thor, observing it all with a calm gaze, noted that while she almost tore the net in two, it would have been simple to freeze or burn her while she stood ready.

"Nice, you've definitely got the basics down, but you're too planted. Try loosening it up a bit more." Bolin then said, standing next to her as he repeated his former actions. Thor noted that he seemed substantially lighter on his feet than Korra had been. His attacks were faster, but didn't pack as much punch as Korra's had done. He then allowed Korra to try again, and she instantly got it right, beginning to send the disks of clay down-range at a speed faster than his.

"Amazing, you're a natural at this." Thor mused quietly at Bolin's words. It was clear that Korra was indeed not bad with the disks, but he had a feeling Bolin was exaggerating to give Korra a boost of confidence. Could it be more than just friendly help? Thor shook his head slowly at the thought, seeing as they had not known each other for much longer than he had known the Avatar. At least, he had figured out that Mako was a firebender, as he had been the one to slug around flames, while Bolin was evidently the earthbender. That must mean that the one who had left in a sour mood had been the waterbender.

It was also evident that Korra needed some training as she was now.

A plan was starting to take shape in Thor's head, but it would take some planning, as well as what could be called dirty methods. Watching Korra and Bolin keep up the slugging for a few more rounds, Thor kept an eye on Mako for a few moments, then decided to brace the question he had in mind.

"Say Mako... there were three of you, am I correct? Where is the third member of your team? Should he not have been here and meet the Avatar?" Mako shot him a glance at that. Maybe he was seeing through the reason for Thor's question.

"Don't know, he pretty much just leaves when the match is over. Hasook never was the most social guy... wouldn't be too surprised if he stayed in the showers after today though..." Mako said, sounding like he hardly cared for why Thor asked. Thor allowed himself a small grin at that, but kept it hidden beneath his hands. He then stood up, briefly dusting off his clothes.

"Korra, meet me outside the main entrance when you are done here. I need to go talk to some people." He said, then nodded to the two other youngsters and took his leave.

Around five minutes later, Thor found the showers, going after the singular spark of red aura pulsating in one of the rooms near the large hall. As he entered, he found the water to be running, and a naked boy to be standing under the streaming water, currently unaware of Thor's presence.

That changed though, when after having locked the door, Thor snap-froze the head of the shower, causing the water to stop instantly. He then waited until the boy had noticed him before making a proper approach, his hood covering his face completely.

"The fuck man? Why'd you do that?" The youngster said, obviously annoyed. Thor had put his friendly factor away though, putting his mission before the comfort of random people. He then stepped up to the boy, not even a meter away.

"You Hasook?" He asked with a calm, low voice.

"Yeah?"

"Member of the same team that has Mako and Bolin on it?" He said, keeping the calm voice, as well as his face hidden.

"What's your problem weirdo?"

"I am going to give you a choice, and how you leave this building is up to you. I want you to leave the team, permanently" Thor said, now allowing his voice to take on a more menacing tone.

"What? Fuck you, I'm getting good money and girls from this, I'm not leaving, so buzz off before I waterbend your ass" He sneered, grabbing for the handle of one of the adjacent showers. Thor stood where he was, observing the youngster trying to threaten him.

"By all means, go for it. Just... I am giving you a chance to hand in a letter where you say you leave the team, as well as giving you a thousand of those coins you use. Then you disappear, and if I ever find out you have been telling the others why you left... they'll never find the body." Thor said, smiling calmly as he did. He knew he could simply kill the whelp, but a small voice told him to give him a chance to simply leave, as well as get paid for it. In the end, the method would not matter. What he needed was for Korra to be initiated by the two brothers on their team, seeing as she belonged to the benders of water. That would mean she, had he understood it correctly, could join the sport they played, and be trained that way. He had seen how Bolin for one had a style that was, if not as hard-hitting as hers, at least faster. Mako would be less of an issue, as Thor himself could help Korra with the fire, considering she wasn't actually more adept than him.

It was all moot at this point though, as Hasook still needed convincing.

"As if." The youngster sneered, then launched his attack. It was a long tendril of bent water that shot out from the entire row of showers, forming a thick, long arm of water. As the fluid shot at Thor, he rolled to the side, then called up the frostbite from the energies in his body. With the flick of an open palm, Thor snap-froze the tendril's tip, then continued the icing until the water had frozen in a bizarre curling form, looking like a deformed branch covered in ice.

As the frost continued to creep up the still flowing water, Thor stepped closer to the man with only one hand spewing out the cold of Skyrim's tundra. He then ignited his free hand in crackling energy, meeting the suddenly horrified eyes of the waterbender before he placed the palm on the man's chest. The currents of electricity coursed over and through the man, the water already covering him acting as a perfect amplifier to shock his entire body in a few short moments. Hasook went limp with a choked scream, the water stopping its flow the very second the waterbender lost consciousness. To finish up, Thor threw his magica at the still flowing showers, causing them to snap-freeze in long taps of ice that would melt eventually, but causing the water to stop flowing. He then looked down at the still form of the arrogant and prideful waterbender, contemplating his next course of action.

To be honest with himself, Thor had hoped the whelp would have simply taken the money and left. Now, he stood with having assaulted a member of the fellowship he wanted to train Korra. Nothing had ever been this complicated in Tamriel. Back then it was just 'don't like him? then kill him' and no one would ask questions or look into it. He doubted that the guards here, if they could even recognize him in moments, would be dumb enough to take a page from the guards of Skyrim's book.

He needed to get rid of the still alive bender, and currently that seemed quite impossible to do in a humane fashion. Taking out his axe, Thor briefly contemplated simply chopping the whelp up and having Odahviing eat him. But then there would be the blood and all the mess he would have to clean up, as well as the noise it would make. Looking out the door to the room, Thor noticed that it was just across from windows overlooking the ocean. He reached the level where he saw a possibility in that, cruel as it might be.

"Now, you refused the coin, and since I can't have you tell people..." He said in a genuinely sad tone, picking up the light body of the frozen and shocked bender, the ice making his weight far heavier than he should have been. It would have been bliss if he could have just bent the mind of the waterbender, but such an action was not permanent, which was also why he wanted to leave the place before the guard recovered his memory of the meeting.

Taking a final look outside the hallway, Thor heaved the frozen form over his shoulder and crossed the painstakingly wide corridor before he reached the window. Giving the closed eyes of the whelp one final glance, Thor sighed.

"Talos guide you, and Tsun allow you into Sovngarde or whatever place you will to travel."

And with that final prayer, he levered the boy over the edge, then threw the body as far into the ocean as he could. It was agonizing to watch the body sail through the air, and even more so knowing that when he awoke, the boy would be too cold to do anything but bend a droplet of water as the sea took him in the final embrace.

Thor stood at the window, muttering what prayers he could offer for the departure of the youngsters soul, events having forced his hand in the unjust murder of someone who's live had yet to fully begin. He then inhaled deeply, then closed his eyes one final time, asking Arkay to forgive the untimely death of someone so young. Mara he dared not seek out, nor Stendarr as both gods would see on his action with disgrace and disgust. The murder of a child was enough to get even the High King himself executed if proven, and he had just done so. Next after desecrating the shrines of the Divines, killing children was the worst crime man could carry out.

He then closed the shutters of the window before turning to head down the closest stairs. All the way, he contemplated, pondered and tore his own soul to seek the answer to if there really had been no other way. He had killed before, and killed so many times he had lost count, but with children it was different. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Thor headed for the exit, his mind set on at least making the sacrifice of the youngster worth something.

There were surprisingly few people outside the building, only a few lingering about, chatting or simply enjoying the calm night air as the occasional breeze swept over the place, bringing in the smell of the sea with it. Not able to make himself slip away in the shadows to wait, Thor simply stood against one of the pillars at the entrance, deciding that if he was caught now, he would at least be caught for a real crime.

Yet no guards came along, and before much time had passed, Korra came out from the building, wearing a tired but content smile on her face. Their eyes met at the same moment, and Korra hurried to where Thor stood, Thor hoping that his state of mind was not evident on his face.

"Avatar. You seem happy." He said, nodding to her as they started walking along the wall next to the ocean. Thankfully, the side he had dumped the boy from was the opposite of where they were now, with no risk of him suddenly washing up on the surface of the water.

"Yeah, I learned a few really cool tricks from Bolin, even if his brother is a jerk, and guess what? They actually _live_ in that place! Can you believe it?" She exclaimed, a broad grin on her face. It was clear that despite the method he had used was appalling and wrong, Thor had done right in making sure that Korra would have the opportunity to be at the place, and hence learn whatever styles of fighting she would need for the up-coming tests of valor and strength, when Alduin would arrive.

"No, I don't believe that I have... now Korra, there was a reason I needed to speak with you alone." He said, the initial musing being replaced with a more serious tone. The young woman seemed to pick up on that instantly, her face changing to a more plain mask as well.

"You are going to talk about Alduin, aren't you?" She asked with a quiet voice. Thor nodded, thankful that Odahviing had told her that much.

"Yes... but there is something you must understand about him, about me and Odahviing as well as my final companion Mjoll." He said, not fully certain as to how he should tell her the truth. He himself had been around magic for as long as he could remember, and the idea of different planes had shaken him to the core. It was naive to think Korra would handle it as well as he had.

"You're not Equalists, are you? Because that hood can fool people into suspecting you, you know." She said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No... no that would be easier to explain I'm sure. Let me show you something first, then it will be easier for me to explain." Thor said, then walked a few yards away from her. As the Avatar looked on in mild confusion, Thor gathered his magica in the palms of his hands, then started out with spanning the gap between his hands in a bridge of fire, the flames appearing in one palm, the vanishing into the other.

"You're a firebender? So...what, am I supposed to be dumbstruck by that?" Korra said, sounding a little confused, as well as mildly annoyed. Thor just shook his head, then changing the fire into, at first, electricity and then, making Korra's eyes widen, ice and frost. To end the display, he willed the final stores of magica into healing powers, letting the warm, soothing light dance over his hands, and then bathe his entire body in golden rays as they behaved like flowing water around him. Dispelling the magic, he put the area back into relative darkness as the golden light had provided illumination far better than the lamps hovering in the streets.

"How... how... but only the Avatar can control more than one element." Korra stuttered in utter disbelief. Thor could see it in her eyes, the lack of acceptance in the fact that she had just seen what should only be possible to her alone. Deciding to take things a little slower, he set about explaining.

"Korra, this is not bending. Yes, you will see and interpreted it as bending, but in truth it is different in some ways that are difficult to explain, nor do you need to fully understand it. But to get to the point, from what I know, you use what you call 'chi' to fuel your powers. My people use magica, an ancient source of power so vast, that it allows us to do things not even possible in dreams. There are some amongst my people who can summon the very demons and Daedras of the Oblivion itself to serve them, others can call the fury of the skies down upon their foes with the flicker of a wrist or the snap of two fingers, like what Bolin did in the booth."

"But... even if that's... why have no one told me about this? It's like a pretty big deal!" Korra exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air for effect. In the back of his mind, this reminded Thor of a song from the college in Solitude, though he could not recall its name.

"Korra... magica allows for things you can hardly imagine. One is the ability to travel between worlds, to 'bridge the gap' that is between the planes."

"Yeah, the Avatar is the bridge between our world and that of the spirits, but... are you saying?" She stopped there, seemingly unable to find the right words. To help her, Thor continued.

"This is also why you have never heard of neither me nor Odahviing. We have travelled here from a different plane, a world called Nirn, by the men and women living there. Alduin himself is from this place as well, and my sole reason for being here is to await his return and slay him once more."

"Once... more? What... I can't believe this, it's just too surreal, too impossible."

"So is meeting talking dragons and having someone else bend more than one element... Korra, exactly as the bridge between the world here and that of the spirits, you of all people should be aware of the possibilities that lie in creation itself. There might be hundreds, there might be infinite more planes out there, but what matters is that we focus on this one. I know, that this is too much to take in on one day... or night, in our case, but I need you to contemplate what I have told you, and weigh up all your actions against the knowledge that Alduin himself will set upon your world in months."

"Holy crap... oh, why did I ever beat down those thugs? None of this would have happened if I hadn't given a damn about it. I really hate my life at times, and this just adds to the pile Tenzin already puts on me." She muttered as they walked on, the lights from the island bathing the temple in a serene and pure golden glow.

"I know... Believe me, I know what it is like to be in disbelief over something truly impossibly. When I was born, dragons were of the legends, only found in books. Yet, it is hardly two years since I started killing them in scores, desperate to save my own land. On top of that, I had been granted powers by Akatosh, our god of time and supreme ruler of the Pantheon of Divines. I was once normal, if you will believe it, but when the first dragon slain by me dissolved, I was revealed to be the Dragonborn. My point is, nothing is too incredible for you to let it bog you down." He said, stopping as they had reached the area where Mjoll and Odahviing were waiting.

"I'm not sure what to say, I mean... it's..."

"Too surreal?" Thor offered. Korra snapped from her timid behavior at his words, turning to face him.

"Yeah..." She admitted, as Thor picked up the sound of feet walking and a heavy weight shifting on a creaking metallic surface. He could then make out the glowing nostrils of Odahviing as the great dragon had yet to move from his spot on the vehicle. From the cover of shadows, Mjoll stepped out, an apprehensive look to her eyes that quickly turned to mild bemusement.

"Odahviing, you were right, she really _is_ a young one." Thor's wife said in a mild chuckle.

* * *

**Legends say that it was the meeting between the two most head-strong women to ever live that sparked the invention of the atomic bomb. Others, that it was the meeting itself that invented the bomb. **

**I wonder how the murder of a child for the greater good will affect Thor's self-respect.**


	10. Airtemple Island

**I know, I know, far too long since my last update. Feel free to verbally smack me, or physically if you live somewhere close by...**

**Continuing from the last chapter, Thor had just gotten Korra to follow him from the Arena, and met up with Mjoll and Odahviing.**

* * *

Avatar - Bender of the Thu'um

Airtemple Island

Thor was not surprised by the statement, but he could easily see that Korra was. Of course, it might as well have been seeing the massive shape of Odahviing as he was leaning his head on top of the vehicle, this strange horse-less carriage.

"I'm not a child, I'm sixteen. And who are you?" Korra asked, causing Thor to shoot her a glance, then one to Mjoll. He was relieved to see that she didn't seem insulted by the brash question. He was also astonished to find that Korra was only sixteen. He had to admit, while she looked young, he had guessed she must have been in her nineteen's at least.

Korra could put it however she liked, she really only was a child.

"I am Mjoll, young woman, companion to Thor Dragonborn. I am called the Lioness as well, by those who do wrong." Mjoll stated, her face set in a pleasant expression, giving Korra the same chance she had once given Thor, to see if she was worthy of trust or not.

"Do wrong?" Korra said, seemingly not having fully understood what Mjoll was saying. Thor sighed, looking at the slightly confused young girl.

"It means 'criminals'. Easy Love, Korra has not shown any traits I would connect to criminal behavior. Rather it seems she has her own way of doing good, if I have understood the 'thug' thing correct." He said, giving Korra a raised brow, then walking over to his wife.

"Right, that... well, technically, they said I did as much damage as the bad guys, so I don't really know if..."

"Korra, you don't need to be so nervous. I know who and what you are. We are here to help you, not putting you in an uncomfortable corner. Now, since we are all here, why don't we visit your home?" Mjoll said, catching both Thor and Korra off guard.

"Mjoll, when did we... schemers, the two of you made plans behind my back?" He chuckled, kissing her on the cheek.

"It was a better way of spending time than waiting for your return, Master." Odahviing said, small flames licking around his nostrils that were easily visible in the dark.

"Well, I suppose now might be as good a time as any. From what I know... Korra, one of the leaders of your city, a man named Tenzin, he lives on that island?" Thor said, looking at the young Avatar.

"Wait, you are not serious, are you? You have any idea what would happen if you brought... Odahviing, with you to the Island?" Korra exclaimed, her face growing a few tones paler.

"No, what would he do?" Mjoll asked with an amused expression.

"He would flip his shit, that's what." Korra commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Flip his... I do hope this means something other than playing with his... leftovers." Mjoll said, looking a little uncomfortable.

"You... right, ehm... it means he would get pissed off." Korra said, rubbing her neck in what appeared to be a slight fit of nervousness.

"So, he would be mad if we were to drop you off... at least, if it was Odahviing who carried us?" Thor said, giving his dragon a sideways look. Sure, the red Dovah could be a terrifying opponent, but after almost a year with him, he was more like a big hound.

A big talking, fire breathing hound with scales and flight that was.

"Yes..." Korra said, huffing as if it should have been obvious. Of course, many people in Skyrim had been more than worried when they saw Odahviing coming down to land, even if it was because he lit up a giant beating a man's livestock to death.

"So... well, how do you suppose we get over there then?" Thor asked. He looked firs at Mjoll, the cobber-haired woman shaking her head as a response. Thor looked back to Korra.

"Well... I doubt any ferrymen will take us to the Island, not at this hour..." He muttered, not failing to be surprised at the smirk gliding over Korra's face.

"I think I know a way of getting you across... can you swim?" It was impossible to miss the way Korra looked at the water separating them from the Island, and Thor, who was indeed not a good swimmer, was a little nervous at the sight of it.

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like your idea..." He muttered, but had already resigned to follow the Avatar's lead. After all, they were guests there, she was the one at home.

It was the whole idea that she should be the one leading the mission, so he saw no argument against letting her decide.

About ten minutes later, he regretted that very line of thought.

"I knew I wasn't going to like this!" He yelled, clinging to the large platform of ice that Korra had conjured from the sea, now used as a vessel to travel across the water faster than a horse could run on dry land. Next to him, Mjoll was equally pale, but kept her mouth closed. A reason could be that she needed to hold a hand over it from time to time, in an attempt to refrain from losing her last meal.

Korra, on the other hand, was standing strong on the frozen flake, a gritted smile on her face as she propelled them across the waters, with seemingly no other method than tossing her arms backwards to generate waves and surges of water, sending them forward with the sheer force of water.

Water, which Thor had come to learn, was more than just controlling a whip of liquid, but could just as easily be making an ocean your private playground. It was a more than disturbing thought, but it was also intriguing of course, to see if he could find a way to use it against the Thalmor once Alduin was taken care of, and he could return home.

"What's the matter, oh powerful man? Afraid of water?" Korra taunted, throwing the flake into a curve, almost causing Thor to lose his grip on the ice. He could only hold on because he had melted a grip into the ice, and Mjoll was just as he, clinging to the frozen waters with her fingers. Often, he had to catch her as she started to slip, her skills with magic being close to non-existent.

"No! Afraid of speeds like this! I do not believe-" He started, but was cut off as a spurt of water splashed him in the face, drenching and soaking him to the bone; -believe it is wise to travel this fast! Especial-" A new surge of water hit him in the face, sending shivers of cold down his body; "Korra! Sail slower, you'll end up making me catch a cursed cold!"

"Sorry, didn't think you could get sick. Alright, how's it going Mjoll?" Korra shouted over the wind.

"I hate this! I love travelling but I hate this!" The woman shouted, then smacked a hand over her mouth to stop the burps from becoming more than just air.

"Yeah, I get the point... slowing down." Korra said, lowering the speed of the flake. As the speeding atop the waves became steady floating instead, Thor allowed himself a second to breathe.

"By Talos, Arkay and whatever Divine would prevent this... Gods I never want to do this again." He stammered, still clinging to the finger-sized holes he had made in the ice. Pulling up one hand, then another, he started bathing them in flames, trying to get some life back into the frozen sticks of meat and skin.

"At least you had something to hold on to, I had to hold on for dear life with nothing but my hands. Accursed fact I wasn't born with magica!" Mjoll swore, rubbing her own hands near Thor's flames, her husband holding his hands up for her to warm against.

"We are not all equally lucky my love. I was born with some gifts, you were born with twice the muscles I can ever hope to have." Thor said, grinning as life returning to his fingers.

"Sod, you should try being in my shoes..." Mjoll muttered, but with a smile in her eyes as she warmed her fingers, Korra playing the role of the idle observer.

"Guys, we're closing in on the Island. Just be prepared on a pissed off Tenzin." Korra warned them, pointing at the shore coming closer and closer.

"Why would he be pissed, we did not bring a dragon to his door." Thor asked, looking confused at the young woman.

"Well... he may or may not have kinda forbidden me from even going to the arena, not to mention watch a fight from the booth of the fighters." Korra muttered as the flake drifted up on the sandy beach. Thor was the first one to set a foot on the shore, looking down at his feet.

"Sand? Strange, I haven't seen real sand in... what, ten years now?" He muttered, taking a handful of the tiny stones in his hand, watching as they flowed between his fingers like so much water.

"I have never seen it at all Love... what causes it to not be in Skyrim?" Mjoll pondered, sticking her armored boot in the sand. While she had discarded of her armor back at their home, she had kept on the armored boots, seeing as they were like a part of her, and not needed to discard of.

"No idea, though it seems to never be in colder lands... maybe it avoids snow?"

"No, that can't be it. I remember now, there is a similar sort of beach near Solitude, but not in this... softness. Back home it's all gritty and gets in my boots and clothes." Mjoll said, smiling as she ran her hands through the still sun-warmed sand. Thor turned from Mjoll to the tripping Avatar, Korra looking less than confident at the thought of this Tenzin's wrath.

"Korra, what do you mean he did not allow you to go to the arena? Are you not the Guardian of this realm? The undisputed warrior of the elements?" He asked, causing her to stare at him.

"Look... I don't know how they do things in... Nirn, was it? But here I am in training under Tenzin, and he decides what I do... at least he mostly do." She said, looking up the stairs to the main areas, the windows burning bright with yellow lights.

"So, you disobeyed your mentor?" Thor asked, now understanding the Avatar's inner turmoil.

"Yeah, and he had only just said good for me staying here. I told him about Alduin, or at least as much as your dragon told me, but then he was almost even more insistent that I had to go back to the South Pole, to "safety" as he called it." Korra said, doing air-quotes as she spoke.

"Well, I don't suppose we can figure it out by standing in the sand. I say, we deliver you to the door. But before we do that... Korra, do you want to participate in the matches Bolin and Mako work with?" Thor asked, looking down at the Avatar. While he was a tall man, she was hardly less than a few inches beneath him, her muscular stature making her an almost physical equal.

Still, the surprise on her face was that of a young person, a woman not yet in the ranks of the adults.

"What do you mean 'participate'? They are a full team already." Korra said, looking at him with confusion in her eyes. Mjoll stepped up next to him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her look said it all, she wanted to know what he was talking about, though with burning curiosity, not mistrust or confusion.

"I'll tell you later Mjoll, don't worry. Now... Korra, it's just hypothetical of course, but if you had the chance, would you join the... what were they called, the 'Fire... something'?"

"The 'Fire Ferrets'... and yes, if it wasn't because Tenzin would berate the hair from my head for it, then sure. But... wouldn't that be kinda a waste of time with Alduin coming?" Korra said, looking between the two natives of Tamriel.

"Not really, no. In my eyes you might even be stronger for it. While I am sure Tenzin's teachings must be maintained, whatever they are, you should look at all opportunities. Still, it's just wishful thinking of course. They still have that sour youngster on their team, I doubt it would happen..." Thor mulled, inwardly still shivering at the memory of his disgusting action.

"I guess..." Korra said, looking at the sand. Thor put a hand on her shoulder, sending Mjoll a knowing look in the process.

"Come, let's go see if this Tenzin of yours is really so mad." He said, gesturing for the temple. Drawing out a long sigh, Korra took point up the stairs from the shore, stepping onto the small boardwalk before heading up the stone stairs.

"Just... be prepared for him to shout your ears off. He kinda does that."

"Oh? Well I think I can shout a little higher, if push comes to shove." Thor grinned. Korra gave a confused glance to him, but seeing as the man enjoyed his little joke, she didn't bother asking.

The Temple, as it was no house or even a mansion, was an impressive sight. They could have housed Elisif there, and she would think the Blue Palace to be drab in comparison. At least, from the outside. Thor stared at the high tower sprouting from the foundation of a marble-white building a little away from the blue-rimmed buildings. Even in the dark, he could see the top of the white tower, a few burning windows lighting up the building.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Korra led them across a large plaza, made seemingly from one single large slab of stone, white like the rest. It took all of Thor's dedication not to wonder out loud just how it had been done, as even he could see the stone was not part of the Island's natural rock.

He found himself wondering once more, just what was more powerful. Bending, as they called it, or magic. While magic could do things striving against logic, he had never heard of it being able to command more elements than fire, and he had certainly never known even Aren to be able to raise a plateau of singular white stone from a different bedrock.

"Right... it's just in here and... oh shit." Korra said. Following her eyes, Thor and Mjoll saw the trio of white-and-blue dressed people close in, all dressed in similar fashion and with determined as well as surprised looks on their faces.

"Who are they?" Mjoll asked, her hands slowly crawling towards her belt-worn knife, her battleaxe having been left at the tall apartment-house.

"The White Lotus... they are kinda-"

"Avatar Korra! What in the Spirits are you doing out here this late, and who are these people with you?" The front most man said, looking from Korra to Thor and Mjoll. Before either Thor nor the Lioness could be pressed into drawing a weapon, Korra stepped forward.

"Guys, guys calm down. Right, I'm sorry I was out so late, but I had some... Avatar-stuff I needed to take care of." She said, holding her hands in a calming gesture.

"Avatar, you know Tenzin forbade you from leaving the Island while you are here, and certainly not at night to go on adventures. The city is a dangerous place, even for you." The man said. Inwardly, Thor felt a little bad about having used the exact same words earlier that night, but shrugged it off. He had not meant it, only said it as a reason to be near the Avatar.

"I know, okay, but it was kinda important, and look: Nothing happened, okay? We can all just calm-"

"Korra!" A new voice called, this one belonging to a bald man, quickly trotting towards the Avatar with a face equaling Mjoll's hair in redness.

"Or not..." Korra muttered, bowing her head in defeat. It was strange to the Nords, to see the brash girl like that, but they both thought better of asking, instead opting to see what was happening.

"Korra what in the world is going on? First you yourself admits that the city is even more dangerous than even I thought, and now you run off in the middle of the night? I bet you even went to the Arena, even though I explicitly told you not to!" Korra didn't say anything, instead just curling up her fists. Of course, what could she have said? She had defied Tenzin solely for the purpose of seeing a match in the Arena, and it had not even been planned that she would meet Odahviing's masters. She could try making it out like she had been looking for Thor and Mjoll, but Tenzin had almost always been able to see through it when people lied. Hence why he was on the Council. So, Korra did what she almost never did in the face of a berating.

She stayed silent.

"Well? And who are these two people you have with you? They hardly look like members of the White Lotus, more like..." He said, but cut himself off. It seemed he couldn't find a fitting description of the two outsiders. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Korra.

"Send your guests home Korra, then come inside. It's far too late to be out, and you need your sleep for tomorrow." There was a softer tone to his voice now, almost more concern than it was anger. Seeing as Korra was in the middle of answering Tenzin, Thor stepped forward, not wanting to be sent away like a stray beggar at the door of the Jarl.

"Good ser, I believe you might want to retract your request to have us expelled. You see, we are not common street-thugs or whatever you may suspect us of being." He said, walking respectfully towards Tenzin, keeping his open palms outstretched towards the ground in a gesture of openness. If the bald man really was the mentor of the Avatar, he needed to be persuaded of their good intentions.

"Hmm, at least more respect than I thought... Korra, who_ are_ these two people? They look a bit... off." Tenzin said, turning his eyes to his charge. Thor felt a little displeased that the man did not ask him, but that he asked Korra spoke to some degree of willingness to learn, not just throwing them out.

"Well... they're kinda like me, but ask Thor. I _really_ don't know how to explain it anyway." Korra said, holding up a hand to her forehead. As Tenzin turned from the Avatar to him, Thor took it as his cue;

"Well, as you said, we do indeed stand out. Tenzin, if I may call you that, has Korra reported any strange meetings to you? Maybe with a flying creature of spiritual dimensions and abilities?" Thor said, wanting to start with knowing just how well-informed Tenzin was.

"She might have, yes... why?" Tenzin said, then looked around him and the still-standing group of white-clothed guards; "Come, let us go inside. The two of you look soaked, and you will just get sick from standing out here." He said, catching both Thor, Korra and Mjoll by surprise. None of them had expected him to invite two strangers inside, but maybe it was because Korra trusted them.

Not saying a word other than bowing his head, Thor, Mjoll and Korra followed Tenzin inside the main building, the white stone-work almost seeming like it welcomed them.

As they stepped inside, the smell of incense was the first thing Thor noticed. It was delicate, yet strong and sweat. Looking idly for the source as Tenzin led them to what looked like a dinner hall, he saw several rows with steaming canisters, small flames burning under each metallic container. The room, as well as the hallway, was made in wood, as well as some thin, white material that reminded Thor of paper, but had a different feel to it. It was strange, finding a house, a home and a building, where the walls were made from breakable material on purpose, rather than the solid stone or thick wood making up the outer walls of the compound.

Tenzin motioned for them to sit down, Korra included.

"Now... since Korra seems to trust you, I will try to do the same. Who are you, and just why are you with her?" Tenzin asked. Scratching his beard, Thor grumbled a little over how to start.

"Well, to start out, you should know we're not from here. Korra told me a little about your world of spirits, which might be a good connection. I am Thor, Dragonborn and guardian of Tamriel, situated in Nirn, our home. This is Mjoll the Lioness, my companion and beloved wife. We are here, due to the fact that an old threat from Tamriel has seen it fitting to make his return_ here_, in these lands." Thor started, looking around to find an escape from the drilling stare of Tenzin, the man's eyes cracking open his soul, if what he felt was right.

Tenzin started opening his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, closed it again before looking at Korra. She turned to look at him in return, not knowing what to say at first.

"Well... I know he can do some stuff that are way out of this world. For one, he bends two elements." She said, looking from Tenzin to Thor.

"_Two_ elements?" Tenzin said, disbelief in his voice. Thor received a jab in the side from his wife, as well as a berating look. True, she _had_ told him not to show off in public, especially after seeing the almost awed reaction from the owner of the place they had eaten dinner. He felt excused though, by the fact that he needed to show Korra a proof that he was not an ordinary man.

Showcasing the complete set of destruction-spells, as well as healing non-existent wounds, seemed to have been the best solution at the time. Especially because Shouting would have alerted the entire area.

"Yes... but not in the sense you are thinking off. Nirn, which is where we come from, does not have bending as you call it. We have magic, which is both more and less powerful than bending, as it fills different roles. Already I have seen benders do what magic would never allow for, and I know magic that would make bending pale in comparison." Thor said, holding a hand to his chin.

"That should not be possible... I will not call you a liar, but give me the same proof you gave the Avatar, and maybe I will believe you."

"And if you don't believe us?" Mjoll asked, a slight undertone of worry in her voice.

"Then I will have you expelled, most likely. Now, show me." Tenzin said, his last words more a demand than a request. Sighing, Thor got to his feet, holding out his hands. From one palm, he concentrated the energy of his magica into a freezing cold, causing the air to condensate and turn into frost around his fingers. While Tenzin was captured by this alone, Thor now allowed the opposite type of energy to flow from his other hand, the flames licking up and down his fingers as he kept them low enough as to avoid setting something on fire.

"By the Spirits..." Tenzin whispered, looking like he had just seen a ghost. His face was paling, even in comparison to what Thor had as a tan, and droplets of sweet started appearing on his forehead.

"Tenzin, calm down okay? I know it's freaky, but at least they didn't bring Odahviing with them." Korra said, placing a hand on her mentor's shoulder.

"Odahviing?" He asked, almost as if he was afraid of the answer he might receive.

"Odahviing is our third companion. He is a Dovah, a Dragon in the common tongue." Thor said, trying to keep his voice below a gentle whisper, as it looked like much more would make Tenzin drop.

"I... I need some... do you want some tea? I'll go make some tea, Korra come with me, will you?" Tenzin stuttered, getting to his feet. Sending the pair a puzzled look, Korra got up and followed Tenzin into an area Thor guessed was the kitchen, or maybe a place where they had a central fireplace.

"Well... that went..." Mjoll started.

"I know, I know... but I didn't hear you come up with an easier way to explain it." Thor growled, then took it back, lowering his head; "Forgive me, I didn't mean..."

"There is nothing to forgive Love. You are in a unique position, one no one can claim to have been in before. In my eyes, you are doing well so far. It was not you who brought up Odahviing, but you did your best to deflate the situation." Mjoll said, placing a tender hand on his cheek. Thor took it in his own, looking into her eyes.

"Thank you... I just feel... overwhelmed, by all of this. They expect us to know all the answers, yet I sit back with all the questions." He muttered, squeezing her hand with gratitude. He would have succumbed long ago, had it not been for her, his pillar of strength.

"I know, the feeling is shared. But remember, no matter how confusing it all might seem, at least you are not alone in this." She said, taking her hand from his chin before planting a soft kiss on his bearded skin.

"Had I been, surely I would be dead by now." He said with a weak chuckle, remembering how Mjoll had prevented the captain of the Police-guards from slashing his head off or in with her blades. He could still feel the sore spot in his ribs where the huge slabs of stone had hit him dead on, even after he had healed it.

"Most likely." She agreed, taking a look around; "Nevertheless, this place is something else. The most impressive place I have seen to date is the Blue Palace, but... this place has a different type of impression on me. It's much more..."

"Comfortable?" He asked, smiling.

"Mmm, yes. It wasn't made to withstand the wild climate of Skyrim, and it was built with plenty of resources. These people are living, Thor. Not just surviving." Mjoll pondered, taking one of the closest objects on the table in her hands.

It was a small half-spherical object, made from glass and wood. It contained some water behind the glass, and in the water was a small model of a house, as well as some small humans, fastened to the bottom. Turning it upside down, she discovered that it held a mass of white flakes, tiny ones that started drifting down to the top.

"What's that?" Thor asked, curious about the strange object. He couldn't see its practical use, nor the idea behind it. It looked like there was water behind the glass, but there was no way of drinking or using it to water plants.

"I don't know, but... it's oddly serene." She muttered, continuing to turn the object in her hands, causing the small snowflakes to float around, covering random surfaces.

"You guys have never seen a snow orb before?" Korra's voice pulled them from the amazement of the object, and to discover that Korra and Tenzin had entered the room, both carrying trays with steaming pots, as well as cups made from wood.

Mjoll hurriedly put the orb back on the table.

"It is a strange object... what does it do?" She asked, looking as Thor followed the others' example and took a cup of the steaming liquid. A sweat scent filled the air, causing her nostrils to vibrate with pleasure. It was like smelling the lavenders outside Riften, or inhaling the scent of imported Sweat-bark, a good of luxury she had only ever had once, on the day of their wedding.

"Well... it does thát." Korra mused, gesturing at the still-floating snow inside the orb.

"So... it does not have a practical use?" Thor asked, looking at the half orb with renewed wonder.

"It's Jinora's, she often takes it with her when she wanders the Island." Tenzin said from behind his cup of tea, then put it back down. His face took on a more serious tone, as well as more of his face regaining its color.

"It is for... meditation then?" Mjoll asked, her amazement with the object seemingly overshadowing the need to focus on important issues.

"In a way. It's really just a toy, but it brings peace to look at. I imagine your children have something similar?" Tenzin said, only noticing the sad frown on Mjoll's face too late to prevent the mood from being ruined. Thor put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a squeeze before lifting up her chin.

"I am sorry, I... it was a wrong assumption." Tenzin muttered.

"It's fine... really." Mjoll muttered, giving the "toy" a last glance. She looked back up, a smile on her face. Thor, who knew her, saw that it was just a mask though. She _wanted_ a child, more than one would think with her way of life. He even knew she wanted a girl more than anything, but refrained from mentioning it to him; " You had some questions?" Mjoll said, taking her own cup in her hands, trying to improve her mood by inhaling the almost intoxicating scent.

"Yes... I can't really believe this, but I know you speak some truth. You are not from here, that much is painfully obvious. But the talk of another world, this... Nirn, you called it. It is hard to fathom." Tenzin said, placing his cup on the table. Somewhere in his mind, Thor found it odd that they sat on the floor, and that the table was so low. Didn't they know what a chair was here? They certainly had at the tavern where they had been eating the delicious steak.

"Not really" Korra said, speaking from behind her cup as she took a sip with closed eyes. Putting the cup down again, she looked at the rest of the people in the room.

"I am glad that you seem to grasp it Korra. Then again, you _have_ met Odahviing in person, so..." Thor said, still keeping an eye on Mjoll. There were signs to tell that Tenzin's mention of children had touched something in her, had hit some sensitive area.

"Yeeeaaahh... Naga almost died of fear, but Odahviing seemed nice enough." She said, shrugging with her shoulders, trying to look casual despite the tense atmosphere.

"Nice? Heh, not the words I would have connected to him when we met, but I suppose he has mellowed with time." Thor said, letting a small smile appear on his lips. He could still remember how Farengar had almost lost his eyebrows trying to take some samples from the red Dovah. For a mage, he was more foolhardy than could be healthy.

"Anyway, it's not all that hard to believe Tenzin. Just... think of the Spirit world, and have a few more worlds connect to it... sort of." Korra said.

"Maybe, but all this is still a new concept. I need to take this to the Council, and Lin might want to know as well. There may be more than just the two of you here from your world." Tenzin said, looking at Thor and Mjoll.

"The Council? Good idea, as many as possible need to know that Alduin is coming... who is this Lin though. the name seems familiar, but..." Thor said, scratching his beard. A small action that usually helped him think.

"Lin is an old... friend. She's the head of Police in the city. A few days ago she had a major revolt in the station. Apparently it was caused by no more than two people... wait... how long have you been in Republic City, Thor and Mjoll?" He said, suddenly having a much more guarded tone in his voice.

For a few moments, no one spoke. Thor could feel sweat starting to roll down his neck, contemplating his response.

"It was not our fault, Beifong acted with no justice, as well as no cause." Mjoll stated. Thor could have smacked himself at that moment, feeling his heart almost stop was the only thing preventing him from doing it.


End file.
